A researcher who wants to know how many tree seedlings are in a 1-hectare site counts the number of seedlings within five 2-square-meter subplots and then calculates the average. This method of determining the number of individuals in an area is known as a

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This method is known as a survey because it involves sampling a portion of the area (the five 2-square-meter subplots) to estimate the total number of individuals (tree seedlings) in the larger area (the 1-hectare site). A census, in contrast, would involve counting every individual in the entire area.

A Researcher Who Wants to Know How Many Tree Seedlings