First of all it’s important to understand the terminology used when dealing with ecosystems.
- Ecosystem: the abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) components in a specific area
- Community: all the organisms present within the area
- Population: all the individuals of one species in the area
- Environment: all the conditions that make up the ecosystem outside of an organism
- Habitat: an area within an ecosystem in which a specific population is located
- Niche: the role and space that an organism takes up within an ecosystem
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Risk Assessment
When carrying out an investigation proper risk management is very important. It should be the starting point of any fieldwork you undertake. An assessment should take into consideration:
- possible hazards, which includes getting to and from the site
- associated risks
- control measures that can be put into place
- knowledge of the activity being undertaken
You also need to consider the ethical issues involved as you’re dealing with the environment. You have to pay particular attention to such issues when your investigation involves birds or animals. For instance, when carrying out the mark-release-capture method being careful not to hurt the organism at any point of the investigation.