General notions on sampling

This is an introductory course on sampling (in French), published by the MIA department of the INRA: http://www.inra.fr/mia/ The objective of the course is to give some notions on different classical sampling designs aimed at estimating a simple parameter (here the average of a random variable), and the necessary knowledge to choose the most adapted sampling strategy in a given context.

The book presents the statistical knowledge and methodology of sampling and data analysis useful for spatial inventory and monitoring of natural resources. The authors omitted all theory not essential for applications or for basic understanding.

Written by renowned experts in the field, Sampling Strategies for Natural Resources and the Environment covers the sampling techniques used in ecology, forestry, environmental science, and natural resources. The book presents methods to estimate aggregate characteristics on a per unit area basis as well as on an elemental basis.

Guides for making crop protection decisions based on assessments of pest abundance or incidence are cornerstones of many integrated pest management systems. Much research has been devoted to developing sample plans for use in these guides.

Data obtained by sampling are crucial for decision making in crop loss assessment and pest management. Such data improve farmers' perceptions of the threat of pests and can, therefore, improve the quality of decision making in the practice of crop protection.

Knowledge of the distribution of diseased plant units (such as leaves, plants, or roots) or of the relationship between the variance and mean incidence is essential to efficiently sample for diseased plant units. Cluster sampling, consisting of N sampling units of n individuals each, is needed to determine whether the binomial or beta-binomial distribution describes the data or to estimate parameters of the binary power law for disease incidence.

Le guide d'aide à l'élaboration de stratégie d'échantillonnage proposé par le projet CASIMIR vise à obtenir une information de type « diagnostic », à travers l'évaluation des populations de bioagresseurs et/ou d'ennemis naturels, ainsi que l'évaluation de dégâts et/ou l'évaluation des régulations biologiques.