Advanced Research Methods for Ecological Studies

1. SUM 4011 A Research methods I • I am a senior researcher at SUM with a doctoral degree ecological botany. The theses was based on an interdisciplinary study in the rainforest of Guatemala. • Now working on two EU projects.

2. Research tools and methods. • Prescribed texts • - Read and understand the important aspects of Data collection.., (ch. 1). • Read the papers and comprehend the object of each paper, look for methodology, form and structure. • Read them critically. • - Don’t pay attention to the statistically analysis.

3. Lecture 1.1 -Defining the scope of your study. -Hypothesis or research questions? -Experimental studies? / Observational studies? / Surveys? /Theoretical study? -Sampling design -Field work -Data analysis Research tools and methods.

4. 1. What am I interested in studying? • The statement of the problem serves as a guideline throughout the design of the project. • The objective follows the statement of the problem • And the methodology must serve the objectives of the study Research tools and methods.

5. Defining the scope of your study. • 2. A small short-term study, or a large long-term study? • - Do you want an in-depth study? • -Easy to be overly enthusiastic with regard to what can be achieved. • -The size of the project has important budget and resource implications.

6. Defining the scope of your study. • 2. Long field work involves at least three field work periods. • Allow an in-depth analysis of a situation. • Time is available for quantitative analysis. • Allow a broader scope of the study. • Time is available for voucher collections.

7. 3. An Interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary study? • Research often inflicts on, or poses assertion involving other disciplines. • Be aware of the competence of authors (and your own). • Is it possible for one person to be competent in more than one discipline?

8. Cooperation or not? 3. An Interdisciplinary study? • Does the project touch upon other disciplines? -Be ware of own competence. • How to achieve inter-disciplinarity? • Common field period? • Meeting arenas? • Other? • Project leader/coordinator should be identified. • Group communication and group organization important aspects.

9. 4. Hypothesis or research questions? • To work by a hypothesis may sharpen and simplify, it is however, best used in lager phases of the investigation, or when substantial knowledge of the system is already obtained. • For a hypothesis to be tested, certain statistical assumptions needs to be met. • Ex. Peres et al.: Patterns of variation in population size structure are consistent with recruitment bottleneck resulting from long-term harvest. • Research questions enables a broader explorative focus of the investigation, best used in initial phases. • Ex. Stige et al.: 1. How do these effects differ geographically and 2. how do they differ among crop or animal types? 3. How much food to the effects correspond to in terms of the number of people who could be fed on above or below-average production?

10. 4. Different types of studies • Experimental studies • Observational studies • Theoretical studies • Surveys

11. - Experimental studies • Experimental studies are those which include manipulation of predictor variable and randomization of treatments. • Experiments are the best tools for establishing causal relationships empirically. • Highly controlled studies, such as laboratory experiments, may not give rise to realistic results. • There is usually a trade-off between control and realism.

12. - Experimental studies • An example : Estimating pine seedling response to ozone and acidic rain. • Ozone level (treatment) was forced into the chambers surrounding the plants. Different levels assigned at random. Four replicates of each level. • Acidic rain levels were imposed by dispensing volumes of premixed solutions (natural rain was excluded). Different levels assigned at random. Four replicates of each level. • Each chamber can receive only one level of the ozone-acidic rain combination. • Thus the experiment involved both manipulation of predictor variable and randomization of treatments!!

13. - Observational studies • Observational studies are controlled studies designed with respect to a particular hypothesis, but which lack randomisation of treatments. • Such studies usually involve exploring relationships between a predestined set of response and predictor variables in a natural setting. • Such studies are weaker in control than experimental studies, but are usually stronger in realism and representation. • Observational studies (and surveys) often precede experimental studies.

14. - Observational studies • An example: Migration in endangered butterfly. • Measured local population size of the butterfly in 50 discrete habitat patches within an area of 15 km2, and habitat quality, vegetation height, and an index of isolation of habitat (patch). • Aim at predicting the local population density of butterfly, and relate densities to the habitat characteristics (treatments). • Thus, there are treatments, but there are no randomization of treatments!

15. - Theoretical studies • Theoretical studies, seeking a variety of relevant data sources • documentary studies, • preparing instruments and tools for data collection and analysis, • theoretical re-interpretation • The Ortner and the Taylor article in the compendium, could serve as examples of theoretical studies.

16. - Surveys • Descriptive enumerative studies that are not based on any particular hypotheses are termed surveys. • The central design issue in surveys is sampling. • When designing a study, decisions have to be made regarding allocation of effort, the size of each sample, number of replicates and which values the predictor variable should take. • An example of a survey could by the study by Nesheim et al. in the compendium. The informants are the sample and the different species are the predictor variables.

17. Some possible subjects for analysis: • Desertification in the Sahel belt • The development of a national park in a biodiversity hot spot area • Pollution in a small community causing health problems • Agriculture and pesticides and herbicides • Knowledge of nature by a community • Energy consumption