ABSTRACT
Dune systems occur in many deserts of the world and are characterized climatologically by both low rainfall and humidity and extremely high summer temperatures. Appropriate prevailing wind patterns and availability of a suitable sand source are necessary requisites for dune development and maintenance. The application of the spot-map censusing method has limited value for species that have large territories such as the long-eared owl. Since many of the observations represent visitors or migrants, the spot-map results do not completely represent the use of the habitats. Various transect methods may be employed to census dune-inhabiting species. These methods include most notably the variable-strip transect, belt transect, variable-circular plot, and numerous models representing the distribution curve of the sampling results. Transect methods provide relatively easy, fast techniques for surveying even large communities and have the added advantage of incorporating into the results nonbreeders and fledglings, in addition to breeding birds.
