A Around two centuries before, Robert Marsham, a landowner from Norfolk in the east England, began recording the life cycles of plants and animals on his estate. Successive Marshams continued compiling these notes for 211 years.
B Her analysis shows that the increased droughts that the models predict could halve the breeding populations at the ponds.
C It’s very difficult to collect data on a large geographical scale without enlisting an army of observers.
D It can also illustrate potentially unpleasant consequences, such as the finding that more rat infestations are reported to local councils in warmer years. And getting people involved is great for public relations. People are thrilled to think that the data they’ve been collecting as a hobby can be used for something scientific—it empowers them.
Questions
1. surprise function of casual data in science
2. it seems like mission impossible without enormous amateur data collection
3. example of using amateur records for a scientific forecast
4. collection of old records compiled by a family of amateur naturalists