Читать книгу Practical Field Ecology - C. Philip Wheater - Страница 49

The first page should include contact details in case of loss, the subject of your research, and the start and end dates of the period covered by that notebook. Include any conventions used, e.g. ‘All times are recorded as local time’. Number the pages and ideally add a contents table to make searching for information easier. Write on the right‐hand page only so the left‐hand page can be used for ideas generated by reading about similar observations or relevant research papers. Leave a few lines between observations for comments to be inserted later (e.g. ‘No bark damage here 23 June, see p. 39’). Add a 2 cm margin to write the time, location (e.g. from a GPS reading), or other identifying labels. Create lists of codes, acronyms, specialist terminology, etc. at the back and include any emergency numbers (e.g. those of field buddies). Other useful notes about equipment (how to use, limitations of instruments, etc.) and any numerical information you might require in the field (simple formulae for calculations, random numbers, etc.) can also be added here.

Before starting work each day, write down the date, weather, general location, nature of the habitat, and purpose of the day's work. Write down any changes in weather or habitat that occur during the day, e.g. ‘At 15.00 hours snow began to fall and visibility was reduced to 20 m’. When observing behaviour, note the sampling method, how animals were chosen for observation, and the recording method (e.g. whether you noted all occurrences or used a time‐sampled method). If animals or start times are chosen at random, note how this was done.

Note the type and model number of any equipment (e.g. GPS receiver type Garmin 12). Some instruments need calibrating at intervals, so record the time of calibration and any raw data and subsequent calculations so that any arithmetic errors can be identified and corrected later. Use your notebook to create rough species accumulation curves, etc. so you can tell when you should stop collecting data (see p. 31). Although notes should be made at the time observations are made, it can be difficult to observe and write at the same time, but if you do rely on memory, you should note this. Write exactly what you see or hear, e.g. when describing behaviour do not ascribe a function to it in the guise of a description (i.e. do not write that a goose was ‘vigilant’ when you mean that the bird was in a standing posture with an elongated neck and raised head).

Sketches enhance any photographs you take of your study sites and you will have a sketch available in your notebook the next time you visit the area. Sketches can be added to subsequently (annotating any changes with the date of the amendment). The value of sketches can be increased by explanatory labels. A careful sketch can aid species identification and will help to jog your memory when you encounter a species in the future; such sketches are more valuable if labelled with the diagnostic feature(s) you use (e.g. ‘two spots on forewing’ or ‘sepals bent backwards’). Landscapes change over time and maps may not reflect this. In some cases, no map of a suitable scale may be available, and a sketch map can be made using compass and tape, or by pacing out distances using a pedometer. This may be adequate to note the locations of those animals or plants of interest.

It is also useful to record any notes and actions from supervisory or team meetings, both as a reminder and to ensure that any designated actions have been completed as planned.