A Comparison of Transects and Point Counts in Oak-Pine Woodlands of California
Verner J and Ritter LV. 1985. A Comparison of Transects and Point Counts in Oak-Pine Woodlands of California. The Condor. 87(1):47-68
Transects and point counts were compared as methods for measuring species richness, relative abundance, and density of birds in oak-pine woodlands of central California. Efficiency of the two methods for measuring species richness or giving total counts varied with study design and season. We recommend point counts over transects for most studies in which results of these methods are suitable. Frequency is a measure of relative abundance that should be used only with due caution for its limitations. Density estimates are probably superior to total counts for indexing relative abundance, but they are limited because: (1) the small sample sizes attained in most studies permit density estimation for only a small percentage of the species detected; and (2) available evidence challenges assumptions that density estimates by transects or point counts are acceptably accurate.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Verner, Jared; Ritter, Lyman
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Ecology, Forestry, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Statistical Analysis