User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
In the virtual forest tutorial, the three sampling techniques used to sample tree species in the Snyder-Middleswarth Natural Area were random/systematic sampling, random sampling and haphazard/subjective sampling. I found the technique with the fastest sampling time was the second exercise- random sampling. As opposed to the first and third exercises, the second exercise only required 24 locations to be sampled randomly, without any other restrictions. After reviewing the percentage errors for both the most common and rare species, it was found that the third exercise, haphazard/subjective sampling, was the most accurate technique, with a 3.75% error for Eastern Hemlock, and a 28.6% error for Striped Maple. The second most accurate technique was random/systematic sampling, with a 10.6% error and 52.4% error for Eastern Hemlock and White Pine, respectively. The random sampling technique had percentage errors of 14.7% for Eastern Hemlock and 54.8% for White Pine. These varying percentage errors indicate that with changing species abundance, the accuracy of each technique changes as well.
