Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 August 2001
In benthic intertidal studies it is common to standardize species density, and other variables, to a square metre, regardless of the surface area sampled. Using a fully-nested sampling design, with sampling unit surface areas ranging from 0·020 to 1 m2, the present study investigated the effect of this procedure on the accuracy of the results. It is demonstrated that this standardization has a profound influence on the resultant estimates, introducing a substantial error into inter-study comparisons.