TITLE:
Must encapsulate keywords and aims of the study….
TITLE:
Must encapsulate keywords and aims of the study….
Changes in diversity and community structure across an immersion gradient on the rocky shore at
Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
Relationships between the distribution and abundance of algae and invertebrates across an
immersion gradient on the rocky shore at Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
A comparison between the structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on the rocky shore at Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
The effect of immersion on the structure and diversity of sessile space occupiers on the rocky shore at
Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
Etc……………………..
INTRODUCTION:
Start with the aims or the hypothesis (at end) and work backwards to fill up the
context or preamble.
REMEMBER the TITLE:
A comparison between the structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on the rocky shore at Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
AIMS or HYPOTHESIS………
INTRODUCTION:
Start with the aims or the hypothesis (at end) and work backwards to fill up the
context or preamble.
REMEMBER the TITLE:
A comparison between the structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on the rocky shore at Dalebrook, False Bay, South Africa
AIMS or HYPOTHESIS………
AIMS: To compare the structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an immersion
gradient on a rocky shore
HYPOTHESIS: The structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an immersion gradient
on a rocky shore will be similar – NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY IN YOUR CONTEXT OR PREAMBLE
What sorts of information should you include?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
What sorts of information should you include?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
HYPOTHESIS: The structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an immersion
gradient on a rocky shore will be similar
1. Something about rocky shores and the organisms that you find there in very general terms
2. Something about the environmental gradient induced by tidal action
3. Something about the effect that the conditions have on the survival and distribution of
organisms
4. Zonation
5. Link between animals and algae and why they might be similar
6. Biological hypothesis – statistical null hypothesis
MATERIALS AND METHODS
WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE HERE?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
MATERIALS AND METHODS
WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE HERE?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
Study site description
Description of field methods
Data consolidation and statistical methods
WHICH ONES AND WHY?
Data consolidation and statistical methods
WHICH ONES AND WHY?
Refer to your aims or hypothesis: The structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on a rocky shore will be similar
Pool all sets of samples: sum or average each species across “pseudo-replicates” per distance.
Separate algae from invertebrates.
Calculate diversity and dominance for each distance using jack-knife techniques separately for
invertebrates and algae. DON’T FORGET EQUATIONS and explain symbols.
Correlate diversity and dominance against immersion for algae and invertebrates separately: HOW?
Null-Hypothesis, p value
Correlate diversity and dominance of algae against diversity and dominance of invertebrates. HOW?
Null-Hypothesis, p value
Construct similarity matrix between distances along shore on root-transformed average/summed data
for algae and invertebrates separately. HOW?
Construct dendrograms for algae and invertebrates separately from above using group-average sorting.
HOW?
Visually compare structure
RESULTS
What do you include?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
RESULTS
What do you include?
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
Refer to your aims or hypothesis: The structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on a rocky shore will be similar

Figure 1a: Map of study location

Figure 1b: shore profile

Figure 2a: Scatterplot of invertebrate diversity against immersion

Figure 2b: Scatterplot of algal diversity against immersion

Figure 2c: Scatterplot of invertebrate dominance against immersion

Figure 2d: Scatterplot of algal dominance against immersion

Figure 3a: Scatterplot of invertebrate diversity against algal diversity

Figure 3b: Scatterplot of invertebrate dominance against algal dominance

Figure 4a: Dendrogram of % Similarity amongst invertebrate samples

Figure 4b: Dendrogram of % Similarity amongst algal samples
DISCUSSION
What do you include?
DISCUSSION
What do you include?
Discuss your results in the context of your aims or hypothesis and the literature
Refer to your aims or hypothesis: The structure and diversity of animal and algal communities along an
immersion gradient on a rocky shore will be similar
Remember space constraints…..WHY?
General overview of results – how many species recovered, which ones were most common etc: how
similar or different these data are to the findings of others (locally and globally)
Patterns in diversity and dominance of invertebrates and algae vs immersion gradient: how similar these
data are to the findings of others (locally and globally). Explain this pattern in the context of the
literature (locally and globally)
Patterns in community structure of invertebrates and algae across the shore – zonation: how similar
these data are to the findings of others (locally and globally). Explain this pattern in the context of the
literature (locally and globally)
Compare patterns in diversity, dominance and community structure of invertebrates and algae across
the immersion gradient.
Is you hypothesis upheld? Explain in the context of the literature (locally and globally).
Have you met your aims? Explain in the context of the literature (locally and globally).
Conclude with a summary of your findings and deductions.