User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Technique: Systematic Sampling of Area
Sampling Time: 12 hours 7 minutes
1 Most Common Species: Eastern Hemlock
Actual Density: 469.9
Data Density: 425.0
Percent Error: 9.5%
2 Most Common Species: Sweet Birch
Actual Density: 117.5
Data Density: 95.8
Percent Error: 18.4 %
1 Rarest Species: white pine
Actual Density: 8.4
Data Density: 0.0
Percent Error: 100 %
2 Rarest Species: Striped Maple
Actual Density: 17.5
Data Density: 37.5
Percent Error: 114 %
Technique: Random Sampling of Area
Sampling Time: 12 hours 13 minutes
1 Most Common Species: Eastern Hemlock
Actual Density: 469.9
Data Density: 369.6
Percent Error: 21%
2 Most Common Species: Sweet Birch
Actual Density: 117.5
Data Density: 82.6
Percent Error: 29%
1 Rarest Species: white pine
Actual Density: 8.4
Data Density: 13.0
Percent Error: 54.7
2 Rarest Species: Striped Maple
Actual Density: 17.5
Data Density: 0.0
Percent Error: 100%
Technique: Haphazard Sampling of Area
Sampling Time: 13hours 37 minutes
1 Most Common Species: Eastern Hemlock
Actual Density: 469.9
Data Density: 430.8
Percent Error: 8.3%
2 Most Common Species: Sweet Birch
Actual Density: 117.5
Data Density: 126.9
Percent Error: 8.0 %
1 Rarest Species: white pine
Actual Density: 8.4
Data Density: 0.0
Percent Error: 100%
2 Rarest Species: Striped Maple
Actual Density: 17.5
Data Density: 34.6
Percent Error: 97.7 %
Conclusion: Systematic sampling was the fastest technique at 12 hours and 7 minutes; however, Random sampling was close behind at 12 hours and 13 minutes. The accuracy was affected by species abidance the more rare species percent error was easily skewed by not finding any of the species such as white pine in a sampling regiment. With more samples the accuracy improved. All of the sampling techniques were similar in that the rare species had very high percent errors. Random sampling had slightly lower overall percent error.
