Which of the following techniques would most accurately measure the dispersion pattern of the population being studied?
A) counting the number of times a one-kilometer transect is intersected by tracks of red squirrels after a snowfall
B) measuring the distance between several burrows within a large prairie dog colony in a grassland
C) measuring the average distance between individuals and their nearest neighbor, and then analyzing the variation and comparing those measurements at larger scales
D) counting the number of zebras from airplane census observations

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Technique C, measuring the average distance between individuals and their nearest neighbor and analyzing the variation in those measurements at larger scales, most accurately measures the dispersion pattern of a population. This method directly assesses how individuals are spaced relative to each other, providing detailed information on whether the population is clumped, uniformly distributed, or randomly dispersed.

Which of the Following Techniques Would Most Accurately Measure the Dispersion