Which techniques should I use to survey fauna?

Due to the different faunal groups present in any one area, it is necessary to employ a range of techniques to obtain a representative sample. You must also carefully consider the aims of the survey, as this will dictate the faunal groups to be sampled. Sampling fauna can be a time-intensive exercise, so it is important to use the correct techniques.

Fauna use many different parts of the environment. Some are ground-dwellers, others arboreal and some live underground or in rock crevices. Prior knowledge of the habitat animals inhabit is important in planning surveys and selecting the right sampling technique.

As with flora surveys, the amount of detail required in sampling fauna will influence the methods used in a fauna survey. For example, if there is a need to estimate population size, then animals will have to be captured, marked and measured. This will not be necessary if your aim is to develop a fauna list for your area.

Having some prior knowledge of what an animal looks like, its distribution and types of habitat it might prefer enables you to determine the most appropriate survey method to use. These types of decisions are critical for effective faunal surveys, and the time committed to researching and planning survey methodology should not be underestimated.

Please read

See chapters 4 - 9 of your textbook

Please read

Please read the following articles for a comparison of trapping methods for two different faunal groups.

Reading 4
Catling, P.C., Burt, R.J. & Kooyman, R. (1997). A comparison of techniques used in a survey of the ground-dwelling and arboreal mammals in forests in north-eastern New South Wales. Wildlife Research 24:417-432.

Reading 5
Morton, S.R., Gillam, M.W., Jones, K.R. & Fleming, M.R. (1988). Relative efficiency of different pit-trap systems for sampling reptiles in spinifex grasslands. Wildlife Research 15:571-577.

Techniques for sampling the major groups of terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates and aquatic vertebrates (i.e. fish) and invertebrates are outlined in the sections below. Explore each of these and also consider what other sampling considerations need to be examined.