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The big bug countFiled in Notes on September 5th 05 . The RSPB devised an innovative technique for estimating insect populations – count the splats on the numberplate as you drive in the country. This first survey will provide a baseline for future surveys. The study was prompted by an observant RSBP staffer who noticed that they had less insect splats on their windscreen in the UK than when driving in Europe. Read the following pages…
MethodologyRead the what do I need to do page on the RSPB Web site and try writing answers to the questions below…
Confounding factorsQuotes taken from the Frequently Asked Questions page. “In trials last year, we found that fewer insects were recorded at speeds under 30-35 mph, and that the number of splatted insects increased with faster speeds. We are keen to try to account for the effect of speed. So we have asked for your mileage and the time you start and end your journey. This will allow us to calculate an average speed for your journey. We will then be able to account for the effect of average speed on the variation in number of splats.”
The repeat – bias?
Finally, the results mention one splat every 5 miles on a splatmeter that has an area of about 225 cm2. Can you estimate the number of insects per cubic metre of air? This is filed under Notes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are closed for this post. |
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