An investigation of sampling strategies for lake benthos

Abstract

Part of the apparent variation in community structure and abundance of macrobenthos between lakes is attributable to the different sampling strategies used. A comparison of 7 sampling options in Lake Pearson, Canterbury, New Zealand, shows that spot samples and line transects are inadequate but that an augmented line transect is almost as good as stratified random sampling. Winter/early spring and summer samples are needed to account for seasonal variations in species richness and community biomass. Much less effort is required for an augmented line transect, therefore it is recommended for lake survey and management studies. © 1985 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.