Range of Variables The Range of Variables explains the contexts within which the performance and knowledge requirements of this standard may be assessed. The scope of variables chosen in training and assessment requirements may depend on the work situations available |
What objectives may be specified for the trial/research project? | Research objectives may relate to the full range of research questions investigated by agricultural and horticultural researchers. More common areas will include monitoring and assessing the performance or characteristics of plants or animals, although work may also involve allied areas such as soil, chemical and irrigation research. |
What constraints may affect the survey? | Constraints may be financial, time, scheduling, labour availability, seasonal, and government legislation and regulations. |
What ethical issues should be considered in the conduct of the research? | Ethical issues may include those relating to animal welfare, ethical practice in informing other parties of the research in process, or be concerned with intellectual property. |
Who may be referred to as a client? | Clients may include the enterprises management or a private individual, company, community group, government agency, or a combination of these entities. |
What data may be assessed? | Data may include written or oral records, existing studies, and local and State government policy. Data may also relate to human intervention (such as clearance, cultivation, grazing, settlements, revegetation), landscape degradation (such as salinity, accelerated wind and water erosion, edge die-back, species depletion), pest plant populations, pest animal activity, and animal and plant production. |
What processes for data collection may be relevant? | Processes may include the employment of staged visual assessments and checklists, photo points, aerial photography, plant/animal sampling, transect plant or associated animal counts, surveys and questionnaires, and examination of aerial or other existing photographs. |
What OHS hazards may be associated with conducting a biological survey? | Hazards may include solar radiation, air-, soil- and water-borne micro-organisms, chemicals and hazardous substances, sharp hand tools and equipment, manual handling, slippery and uneven surfaces, and moving vehicles. |
What controls may be introduced to minimise the risk of OHS hazards? | Controls should be introduced according to enterprise OHS policies and procedures and may include identifying hazards; assessing and reporting risks; cleaning, maintaining and storing tools, equipment and machinery; appropriate use of personal protective equipment including sun protection; safe operation of tools, equipment and machinery; safe handling, use and storage of chemicals and hazardous substances; correct manual handling; basic first aid available on site; personal hygiene, and reporting problems to managers. |
What tools, equipment and machinery may be required to conduct a biological survey? | Tools, equipment and machinery may include computers and appropriate software, photographic equipment, potentiometer, tape measure, flagging tape, site or district maps, compass, recording implements, survey point markers and drivers, Global Positioning System (GPS), specimen bags, secateurs, leaf tissue collection equipment, field testing reagents and tools, and binoculars. |
For more information on contexts, environmental implications and variables for training and assessment, refer to the Sector Booklet. |
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