Assessment Tasks

Due date

15th July (hand in on day 1 of Residential)

Length

1000 words

Value

10%

Aim

To develop an understanding of what constitutes a well-written report on a flora and fauna survey.

Task

Students will be supplied with the following article summarising the results of a fauna survey.

Woinarski, J.C.Z, Horner, P., Fisher, A., Brennan, K., Lindner, D., Gambold, N., Chatto, R. and Morris, I. (1999). Distributional patterning of terrestrial herpetofauna on the Wessel and English Company Island groups, northeastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 24: 60-79.

The points listed below should be easily accessible in any report documenting the results of a fauna and flora survey. Students are encouraged to give their considered opinion on whether the report satisfies these criteria and the accessibility of this information to the reader.

1. Specific aims of survey
2. Date(s) undertaken
3. Survey area
4. Trapping effort (i.e. total number of traps used in survey)
5. Experimental designed used (i.e. random, systematic, random stratified, plotless)
6. Types of statistical analyses used
7. Number of species of fauna recorded (reptiles and frogs)
8. Specified species conservation sources stated
9. Species list supplied and sources of historical data stated
10. Is the surveyed area of any conservation significance

Students are required to read Woinarski et al. (1999) and summarise and comment on the information in the 10 points listed above. Answers need to be given in complete sentences.