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Ecological Field Studies and Quantitative Data Analyses

Ecological Field Studies and Quantitative Data Analyses. 18 th March 2013. What is Ecology?. late 19th century (originally as  oecology ): from Greek  oikos  'house' +  -LOGY the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

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Ecological Field Studies and Quantitative Data Analyses

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  1. Ecological Field Studies and Quantitative Data Analyses 18th March 2013

  2. What is Ecology? • late 19th century (originally as oecology): from Greek oikos 'house' + -LOGY • the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

  3. Habitat and Biodiversity Conservation Effects of Pollution and Climate Change Ecology- A SCIENCE THAT MATTERS Sustainable Fishing Practices Best Pests control

  4. Experiments in Ecology

  5. What is an experimental unit? • Smallest division of the experimental material such that any two units may receive different treatments. • There are only 2 experimental units, Tank with treatment A and that with treatment B. Tank with treatment A Tank with treatment B

  6. How many experimental units? • There are 10 experimental units. Tank with treatment A Tank with treatment B Tank with treatment C Tank with treatment D Tank with treatment E

  7. Beware of Pseudoreplication! • Hurlbert (1984) – very common among ecological papers!!

  8. Suggested venues for outdoor Ecological Studies in Singapore • Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve • Labrador Beach Nature Reserve • Pasir Ris Beach (Elias Road) • Changi Beach • Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

  9. Marine Ecology Projects • Effect of varying temperature on the rate of cirral extension of the barnacles, Balanus sp.

  10. @ CHANGI BEACH SINGAPORE

  11. School Based Ecology Projects Distribution patterns of wildflowers Lichen and environmental monitoring http://www.physiology.dal.ca/people/faculty/pubs/11_296.pdf http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/DrewesC/htdocs/REGENERATION-Lv.htm

  12. Ecological Census • Importance of a site • Population size of a species • Habitat requirements of a species • Reasons for a species’ decline • Habitat management • Population dynamics

  13. Ecological Census Techniques • Quadrats are defined simply as sampling areas, and can therefore be of almost any shape, size and type.

  14. Basic Ecological Census Techniques • Transect – used when the sampling area includes an environmental gradient Line Transect Continuous Belt Transect Interrupted Belt Transect

  15. Use of Line Transect and Quadrats

  16. Use of a Belt Transect

  17. Plant community analysis using belt transects to determine: • Species composition (total species list) • Density • Frequency

  18. Density Number of plants per unit area.of plants per unit area. 50 m 50 m

  19. Quadrats for Density measurements • Different vegetation types requires different quadrat sizes. • Vegetation with smaller plants, greater plant density or species diversity -> smaller quadrats • Lichen and algal communities -> 0.01 – 0.25 m2 • Grassland, herbs and shrubs -> 25 – 100 m2 • Trees -> 400 – 2500 m2

  20. Frequency • Percentage of the quadrats in which the species was present. • ‘Shoot frequency’ – is measured if you define as present plants with any part inside the quadrat.

  21. H= - pi(lnpi)  Larger H = more diversity Biodiversity Index • Shannon-Wiener Biodiverstiy Index • pi – proportion of S made up of the ith species

  22. Basic Ecological Field work in schools Does the density of each grass type change with distance from the tree? Does grass biodiversity change with distance from the tree? Does the mean leaf size of each grass type change with distance from the tree? Belt Transect

  23. Some common types of grass in our compound White Kyllinga Cyperuskyllingia (CK) Elephant’s Foot Elephantopus scaber (ES)

  24. Some common types of grass in our compound Love grass Chrysopogonaciculatus (CA) Buffalo grass Paspalumconjugatum(PC) Common peperomia Peperomiapellucida (PP)

  25. Some common types of grass in our compound Common asystacia Asystasiaintrusa (AI) Cupid’s Shaving Brush Emilia sonchifolia (ES)

  26. Introduction to Statistical Analyses AFTER THE BREAK……..

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