Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6294773 | Ecological Indicators | 2015 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
Such strong observer effects weaken the usefulness of microhabitats as biodiversity indicators. If microhabitat inventories are to be developed, we recommend controlling for observer effects by (i) defining standard operating procedures and multiplying the number of observer training sessions and of consensual standardization censuses; (ii) using pairs of observers to record microhabitats whenever possible (though the efficiency of this method remains to be tested); (iii) planning fieldwork so that the factors of interest are not confused with observer effects; and (iv) integrating observer profiles into the statistical models used to analyze the data.
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Authors
Yoan Paillet, Pauline Coutadeur, Aurélie Vuidot, Frédéric Archaux, Frédéric Gosselin,