User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
-
- Rhymes: -ɛkt
Verb
- to divide something by cutting transversely
Noun
- a path along which a researcher moves, counts and records his observations
Translations
- Spanish: transecto
Extensive Definition
A transect is a path along which one records and
counts occurrences of the phenomenon of study (e.g. plants noting
each instance).
It requires an observer to move along a fixed
path and to count occurrences along the path and, at the same time,
obtain the distance of the object from the path. This results in an
estimate of the area covered, an estimate of the way in which
detectability increases from probability 0 to 1 as one approaches
the path. Using these two figures one can arrive at an estimate of
the actual density of objects.
The estimation of the abundance of biological
populations (such as terrestrial mammal species) can be achieved
using a number of different types of transect methods, such as
strip transects, line transects, belt transects, point transects
and curved line transects.
New Urbanist
town planners use the term transect
to refer to the varieties of land use from an urban core to a rural
boundary. General New Urban transect classifications (from highest
to lowest density) are: urban core, urban center, general urban,
suburban, rural, and natural.
Transect for counting population
Transect is also a way of sampling populations. A
transect line is used for measuring the changes between at least
two areas, it can not measure the population, only the changes
between two areas. A transect line is useful for things like: A
scientist wants to see the impact of urban cities on the average
intelligence of the humans. Or: A scientist wants to know the
impact of a nuclear power station to a city.
For a transect line, you need two areas, you
connect them with a line and then you measure the population of the
species you want to count (e.g.: intestinal bacteria). For counting
them, you distribute quadrats in regular intervals on the transect
line, and you count the species in those quadrats.
transect in Spanish: Transect