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Systematic sampling had the fastest estimated sampling time (12 hours, 37 minutes). Table 1 below summarizes the percent error and estimated total sampling time for each sampling method (systematic, random, haphazard), two most abundant (Eastern Hemlock and Sweet Birch) and two most rare (Striped Maple and White Pine) tree species.
Percent error was higher for the two most rare tree species (Table 1). Random and systematic sampling methods had similar accuracies, and both provided more accurate results than the haphazard sampling method (Table 1).
Table 1. Frequency of the two most rare and most abundant tree species in the field sampling tutorial.
| Sampling Method | Systematic | Random | Haphazard | ||||||
| Tree Species | Estimated Frequency (%) | True Frequency (%) | % Error | Estimated Frequency (%) | True Frequency (%) | % Error | Estimated Frequency (%) | True Frequency (%) | % Error |
| Eastern Hemlock (1) | 76 | 73 | 4 | 65 | 73 | 11 | 80 | 73 | 10 |
| Sweet Birch (1) | 48 | 43 | 12 | 46 | 43 | 7 | 44 | 43 | 2 |
| Striped Maple (2) | 0 | 6 | 100 | 12 | 6 | 100 | 20 | 6 | 233 |
| White Pine (2) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 100 |
| Total Time (hours.minutes) | 12.37 | 13.43 | 13.2 | ||||||
| 1 = Most common tree species | |||||||||
| 2 = Most rare tree species | |||||||||
| Note: % Error calculated as an absolute value | |||||||||
| % E = (Estimated-True/True)*100 | |||||||||
