Transects

Transects in Ecology

• Transects are an important method used in ecological studies to understand how different species are distributed across a particular area.
• They can be described as ‘lines’ that are set across a habitat or an environment.
• A transect allows scientists to study a gradient or change in the environment such as change in vegetation from a beach to woodland or gradient in a pond from the shallow edge to the deep center.

Types of Transects

• There are two main types of transects: line transects and belt transects.
• A line transect is a straight line, along which species on or touching the line are recorded.
• A belt transect is a strip of a habitat extending few meters on either side of the line transect, where all species within the strip are recorded.

Practical Application of Transects

• By laying down a transect along a gradient, the presence or absence, or the number of individuals of a particular species, can be systematically recorded at regular intervals.
• This helps in gaining a more accurate understanding of how factors like altitude, soil type, light intensity, pH or moisture levels affect the presence and number of particular species.
• They are essential in comparing species diversity between habitats or assessing the impact of environmental changes.

Interpretation of Data from Transects

• The data collected from transects is often presented in a kite diagram or line graph where the species abundance (or other variable being measured) is plotted against the length of the transect.
• This helps in visualising the spatial changes clearly, allowing for easier identification of patterns and better understanding of species distributions.