Field Survey & Data Collection Flashcards
7 cards from real CEP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Field Survey & Data Collection flashcards as text
A field crew collects soil samples at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depth intervals. This approach is best described as:
Answer: Depth-stratified sampling
Collecting samples at defined depth intervals constitutes depth-stratified sampling, allowing vertical distribution of contaminants or soil properties to be characterized.
Which biological survey technique is specifically used to estimate fish population density in a wadeable stream reach?
Answer: Mark-recapture using electrofishing
Electrofishing temporarily stuns fish for capture, and mark-recapture methods (e.g., Petersen estimate) use recapture rates to estimate total population size.
When a field survey detects soil contamination levels above action thresholds, the surveyor should immediately:
Answer: Document conditions and notify the project manager per the sampling and analysis plan
The Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) governs field response to unexpected findings; the surveyor must document and escalate rather than take unilateral action.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data is particularly valuable in environmental field surveys for:
Answer: Generating high-resolution bare-earth digital elevation models beneath vegetation
LiDAR pulses can penetrate vegetation gaps and be filtered to remove returns from canopy and understory, yielding bare-earth DEMs with centimeter-level accuracy.
A field inspector documenting an outfall discharge observes foamy, discolored water with a petroleum sheen. The most appropriate immediate field action is to:
Answer: Collect a grab sample, photograph, GPS the location, and record observations on field forms
Grab samples, photographic evidence, GPS coordinates, and field notes document the discharge condition at the time of observation, which is critical for regulatory response and legal defensibility.
In vegetation monitoring, the line-intercept method measures:
Answer: The length of a transect line intercepted by plant canopy or stems
The line-intercept method records the length of contact between a horizontal transect line and the canopy of each plant species to estimate cover and density.
A field surveyor uses a clinometer during a timber or environmental survey primarily to measure:
Answer: Percent slope or tree height via vertical angle
A clinometer measures vertical angles from horizontal, which can be used to calculate slope percentage or, with a known horizontal distance, tree or structure height.