Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys

The most common approach to general biological surveys is based on various measures of plant communities in the investigated area. Fauna are not usually considered, and if animals are included the emphasis is generally on the more "charismatic" vertebrates. Invertebrates are ideally suited...

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Main Authors: Bisevac, L., Majer, Jonathan
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/10640
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author Bisevac, L.
Majer, Jonathan
author_facet Bisevac, L.
Majer, Jonathan
author_sort Bisevac, L.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The most common approach to general biological surveys is based on various measures of plant communities in the investigated area. Fauna are not usually considered, and if animals are included the emphasis is generally on the more "charismatic" vertebrates. Invertebrates are ideally suited for conveying information about the environmental status of an area. This paper makes a comparison of the logistics of performing plant, vertebrate and invertebrate samples in a biological survey. Evidence is presented which indicates that the inclusion of invertebrates in surveys can contribute to data on physical factors, as well as on plant and vertebrate communities. Some invertebrate taxa are richer in species than the corresponding vertebrate fauna. In terms of trends in species richness across sites, and also in terms of changes in community composition, certain invertebrates portray a better interpretation of changes in habitat than do the vertebrates. It is suggested that invertebrates can provide a cost-effective means of generating information on the environmental status of an area.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-106402017-01-30T11:20:01Z Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys Bisevac, L. Majer, Jonathan biological survey - community composition - cost-effectiveness - invertebrates The most common approach to general biological surveys is based on various measures of plant communities in the investigated area. Fauna are not usually considered, and if animals are included the emphasis is generally on the more "charismatic" vertebrates. Invertebrates are ideally suited for conveying information about the environmental status of an area. This paper makes a comparison of the logistics of performing plant, vertebrate and invertebrate samples in a biological survey. Evidence is presented which indicates that the inclusion of invertebrates in surveys can contribute to data on physical factors, as well as on plant and vertebrate communities. Some invertebrate taxa are richer in species than the corresponding vertebrate fauna. In terms of trends in species richness across sites, and also in terms of changes in community composition, certain invertebrates portray a better interpretation of changes in habitat than do the vertebrates. It is suggested that invertebrates can provide a cost-effective means of generating information on the environmental status of an area. 2002 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/10640 fulltext
spellingShingle biological survey - community composition - cost-effectiveness - invertebrates
Bisevac, L.
Majer, Jonathan
Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title_full Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title_fullStr Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title_full_unstemmed Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title_short Cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
title_sort cost effectiveness and data-yield of biodiversity surveys
topic biological survey - community composition - cost-effectiveness - invertebrates
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/10640