This page defines what a sampling unit is and helps explain how to think about them in a hierarchical structure in a Point Blue’s database.
What is a sampling unit?
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Project or Sampling Unit: This project is called the State Monitoring Network. The project covers the geographic area of California.
Area Survey Locations (sampling units): The State Monitoring Network has unique locations or areas that we want to label as a sampling unitare labeled as sampling units. They are called Site 1, Site 2, and Site3. They represent 3 properties that are monitored in the State Monitoring Network. This project decided to make these sampling units so the data can be categorized easily at this level.
Survey Types: In this project, we are using two main survey types: Area Search and Point Count Surveys. Each Site can have as many Survey Types as you want but usually you are only doing one survey type at a certain locationneed. The most survey types used at one site in this example is two, for Site 3.
Individual Survey Events: There are three types of protocols used in the State Monitoring Network. At Site 1 they collect Point Count data, which are located along a transect. At Site 2 they collect Area Search data, where . Note that all Area Search polygons are smaller and within the Site 2 area. At Site 3 there are two survey types being used. They collect One is Area Search data and and the other is a type of Transect which is comprised of 3 Secretive Marsh Bird Point Count dataSurveys. At site
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