Comparing Populations

Today’s Objectives long-term data sets
• Become familiar with exploring
• Test hypotheses
• Understand the benefits & limitations

Schedule
• Background on long-term data sets
• MSU Museum
– Tour & Presentation
• Test given hypothesis using long-term data set
• Groups develop new hypothesis and test

Long-term data sets
• Scope global to organismal
• Time period centuries to years
• Benefits Broad patterns large sample size
• Limitations Time, money, organization

Global Long-term data sets
Atmospheric carbon dioxide
Remote sensing

Global Long-term data sets
Ice and Glaciers

Global Long-term data sets
Sea levels

Global Long-term data sets
Sea surface temperatures

Global Long-term data sets
Deforestation in Brazil

Ecosystem level
Appalachian Mountains

Community level
Kellogg Biological Station, MI

Organismal level
Mara hyena project (1988-present)
All occurrence sampling of known individuals; study behavioral ecology
MSU: Holekamp Research Group

Organismal level
Kluane National Park,
Yukon Canada
MSU/Guelph: McAdams Research Group
- Follow individuals throughout life
- 23 years data
- 6000+ individuals in pedigree.
Behavior
Ecology
Energetics
Evolution

Long Term
Ecological Research
Established in 1980 for long term ecological processes in the US
– Primary production
– Population Studies
– Disturbance Patterns
• www.lternet.edu
• www.lter.kbs.msu.edu
Video : http://www.lternet.edu/ltervideo/?size=full

WWW.KBS.MSU.EDU

• MSU Summer Classes
• Internships & Undergraduate
Research
WWW.KBS.MSU.EDU

Summer Classes in Field Biology
Maximum Class size of 16!
All classes include a hands-on research component
2010 Summer
Classes include:
• ZOL 355/355L
• PLB 418
• ZOL 440
WWW.KBS.MSU.EDU

A program ONLY for
MSU students that combines a course at
KBS with a part-time internship.
$3500 scholarship/stipend!
Get course credit AND build your resume!
WWW.KBS.MSU.EDU

WWW.KBS.MSU.EDU
65 miles from main campus
(near Battle Creek)

Interested in animal behavior research?
Join the Boughman Lab!
We need undergraduate assistants to help with our research projects this spring and summer

At Museum
Purpose: get exposure to museum collections that inform long-term data research
• ½ class takes tour of collections
• ½ class gets presentation on long-term data sets
• Groups swap

To the museum!
• Bring:
– Coursepack pages
– Paper, writing utensil
– Jacket

Our exploration of long-term data sets
Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse)
• Mostly nocturnal
• Breed all year, peak
April-August
• Food for snakes, owls and weasels
• Females very territorial

Peromyscus Sex Ratio
• Sex ratio # males: # females
Expected is 50% males: 50% females
• Why might sex ratio differ from expected?
We’ll start by exploring sex ratio in Michigan.

Collecting Data - MaNIS
• Follow directions in coursepack
• Demo
• http://www.screencast.com/users/acrlackey/folders/Jing/media/7
5fa3fae-422e-4f93-a227-07fc8b5f7269

Collect data from MaNIS
Once groups have their data,
I’ll show you how to analyze it using a Pivot Table

Pivot Tables

What?
• Summarize and analyze large amounts of data in a list or table
– (regardless of how you have it organized in your sheet)
– For instance…

Create a PivotTable
• Choose
– Microsoft Office Excel list or database
• Select your data range
– Easy method is click on the upper left hand corner, hold shift key and click on the lower right hand corner.
• Choose the output location
– New Worksheet

Choosing the categories
• Drag the categories to be either rows or columns.
– Don’t worry, play around

Sex Ratio in Michigan
• Each group examines sex ratio
(males:females) in Michigan
• Test difference between observed sex ratio and expected ratio using Chi-square
(Demo website calculator)
• Observed values come from Pivot Table

Assignment
• 1 st set of Q/H/P
• Chi-square table
• Chi-square value, p-value
• Stat conclusion
• Biol conclusion
• 2 nd set of Q/H/P
• Pick anything.
• Need ideas? Think about subspecies, age class, latitude or month.

Next Week
• Behavior lab #3
• Pages 17-28