Wildlife surveys can involve varying levels of effort and technique depending on the species being sought and the information hoping to be gained. Searching for a rare, nondescript plant or a miniscule invertebrate animal often requires a very systematic approach with transects, grids, and plots with a layer of randomness often thrown in to limit the sheer volume of possible sites to be inspected.

Ones that monitor population trends of more visible species such as the Audubon Christmas Bird Count or Ohio’s annual mid-winter waterfowl survey may just involve a single effort per year that records and combines all submitted sightings from multiple observers.