SBI 4U
2016 Ecology Independent Assignment
“An introduction to scientific research and writing through the discovery of Ecology”
100 marks (all the marks for the ecology unit)
-Each student will be assigned one of the 30 following scientific journal articles on a very specific Ecology topic.
-Each student needs to prepare a summary of the article, including at least one of the charts or graphs clearly
explained, 2 or more diagrams, as well as a glossary of Grade 12 Biology ecology terms (bold terms from the list of
articles). The final paper should be approximately 8-10 pages: 4-6 pages for the summary itself (between 850 - 1050
words) (including your figure/chart and diagrams), 2-3 pages for the glossary, add one more page for work cited, and
one more page for cover.
-Each student must also find one OTHER recent article of the same caliber (a scientific journal article, NOT a magazine
article) that relates either to the same topic or to one of the species studied in the article, and clearly indicate it, as a
separate section: all that is required is the title and a proper citation for that article (before the glossary). (See step 9)
-Each summary MUST include a proper list of work cited (see example attached), all work used must be cited in-text
(APA format), note that all sources for the glossary terms must also be cited in-text in the glossary.
WHAT TO DO:
1. Each article has an assigned key term. Begin by looking this term up in your textbook or on the
internet. This will be one of the terms in your glossary.
2. Each article is available online from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America (PNAS). Access it (either by clicking on the link provided in the list
(which is available on my web page), or by typing the full title in Google, which should direct you
to PNAS), and see the online version you can also access (with downloadable version of all the
figures and graphics), as well as supporting materials for the article. Cool. Print de PDF version.
3. Read the article abstract. This should give you an idea of what this research is about. Highlight
any important terms, look up any unfamiliar expression. Learn how to pronounce each term. By
being able to do so, further reading of the article will be a LOT easier. As you do this, you should
begin to work on your list of work cited: make sure to keep track of all the sources you used.
4. Find the section titled procedure (or ‘method’ or ‘protocol’), it may be near the beginning, in the
middle, or sometimes it is at the end of the article. Try to make a bit of sense of what was done;
don’t worry about any type of mathematical analysis except for noting if any mathematical analysis
was performed. (We really don’t need to understand how these were done – the authors probably
had the help from computers and mathematicians anyways!).
5. Look at the results, especially charts, graphs, diagrams. Find the one that makes the most sense to
you, and that appears to be the most significant. Print it out (or insert it into your 1st draft), and
write explanations of what it shows, and the significance of what it shows.
6. Read the discussion (sometimes it is combined with the results), and try to identify the actual
conclusion of the research (often it will be the last 2 paragraphs of the discussion), highlight this
conclusion, and try to re-write it in your own words.
7. Remember that as you read through, you should look up terms and technologies that you are not
familiar with, and perhaps even explain these briefly in your summary. This would help your
summary greatly. Cite any sources that you use for this purpose in your paper: include your
textbook, any article, as well as specific internet sites (scirus comes to mind
(http://www.scirus.com/), but you MUST cite them properly! (See appendix A)
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8. Begin making a rough draft of your summary by answering each of the following questions:
iiiiiiivvviviiviii-
ixxxixiixiiixivxv-
Who were the scientists who performed this research?
Where was this research conducted (not the affiliated university’s location, but specifically the detailed
location where the experiment was performed) – country, specific location, type of habitat?
What main ecological concept(s) was/were investigated in this research?
What is the research about (what were the scientists trying to demonstrate or discover)?
Why were these scientists particularly interested in this aspect of ecology?
What species was / were involved in this research – you MUST list them properly, using proper scientific
names (in Italic font!!!). Google the species, and find an illustration for it, include it in your paper.
Why was (were) this (these) species relevant to this particular topic?
What did the scientists actually do? Were the technologies or techniques used in the research? Be very
specific, use the ‘method’ section of the article. Includes the steps, number of trials, materials used etc.,
include diagrams if necessary.
Was there any kind of mathematical analysis performed (simply list the names of any of these that were
used, you do not need to explain these )? What did the mathematical analyses show?
What are the scientists’ conclusions? (This should be in the discussion or analysis section of the article).
What new questions or issues were raised by this research? If the scientists did not raise new question(s),
you MUST come up with at least one relevant new question or topic that relates to this study.
Were there problems with the scientist research or findings, and did they suggested improvement to the
method?
Did the authors suggest any further research on this topic?
Any other interesting fact?
Why is this type of research or topic important to biologists?
9. Now you are ready to write your summary. Begin with a general introductory sentence to
present the general topic in the realm of biology. Then, by carefully stitching together all your
answers to the questions from ‘8.’, you should have an excellent summary. The 1st five answers
will make an excellent continuation of your introduction; the next 5 answers should make an
excellent main body / development section, perhaps in 2 or 3 paragraphs. The last 5 answers will
lead you to write an outstanding conclusion.
10. Choose a significant concept that relates to your article. Using a scientific journal search engine
such as PNAS (or try OJOSE (http://www.ojose.com/) which is ALWAYS an excellent starting
point!), find one excellent, short article (no more than 8 pages) that could have been used for this
project. Note: It may NOT be one of the articles already on the list. You don’t need to read the
article nor download it, just to cite it. You will place this citation as a note, at the end of your
summary, immediately after the conclusion.
11. Insert your graph or chart in the text of your paper, in the middle section, and include your own
explanation(s), as you prepared in ‘5’. Also insert at least one image from the article, AND one
of the species used for the study, and perhaps one of the area where the study was conducted.
Underneath each pictures, diagrams or chart, make sure to include a reference / source where it
came from.
12. Add your glossary after your conclusion. The glossary should include a brief definition, in your
own words, for each term highlighted in bold letters in the list of all the class’ articles (and
include your key word for your article). Glossary MUST be properly cited!
13. Prepare your list of work cited on your very last page. Make sure to use the proper APA format.
14. Have a peer student, friend or parent read/comment on your final draft. Make all the proper
corrections, and hand in your scientific essay!
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LIST OF ECOLOGY TOPICS: Each heading* (in bold letters) is a term to be part of your glossary.
* If the heading has more than one term or expression separated by a slanted dash, you must define EACH
term or expression)
LIST OF ECOLOGY TOPICS:
A
Predation / Predator-prey:
1- Ploy and counterploy in predator-prey interactions: Orb-weaving
spiders versus bombardier beetles
http://www.pnas.org/content/73/4/1365.full.pdf+html?sid=1e8c29ca-c5af-423c-8623-17d44c881c61
2 - Detection and avoidance of a carnivore odor by prey
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/27/11235.full.pdf?sid=8207a4d6-b72e-4aa6-957f-2a06b116cc65
3WARNING THIS ARTICLE HAS VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES OF SNAKE ATTACKS
Hunter–gatherers and other primates as prey,predators, and competitors of snakes
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/52/E1470.full.pdf?sid=ab1abc8f-3033-4ab9-bffa-f3895375a108
B
Population density: Interspecific, and intra-specific competition.
4- Interspecific and intraspecific competition as causes of direct and delayed density dependence in a
fluctuating vole population
http://www.pnas.org/content/96/3/986.full.pdf+html?sid=762dadad-13de-4fc5-a762-00511d78104e
5- The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/33/13865.full.pdf
C
Carrying capacity: Population density and migration
6- Predicting Insect Migration Density and Speed in the Daytime Convective Boundary Layer
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0054202
7- Drastic population fluctuations explain the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/29/10636.full.pdf?sid=ea47827e-67d6-4980-a6aa-a8eaa00a2f7f
D
Population growth:
8- El Nin˜o drives timing of breeding but not population growth in the song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
http://www.pnas.org/content/100/19/11139.full.pdf+html?sid=eebee85a-67cc-4730-9d11-070d3e8247d4
9- Resolving the roles of immunity, pathogenesis, and immigration for rabies persistence in vampire bats
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/51/20837.full.pdf?sid=26042030-4671-4779-9de6-bc3e8d2162bd
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E
Food Webs
10Trophic position influences the efficacy of seabirds as metal biovectors
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/23/10543.full.pdf?sid=b76f52f5-cf6f-4b71-b119-9ced074dd935
11Metabolic and trophic interactions modulate methane production by Arctic peat microbiota in
response to warming
http://www.pnas.org/content/112/19/E2507.full.pdf?sid=b76f52f5-cf6f-4b71-b119-9ced074dd935
F
Defence mechanisms:
12- Insect feeding mobilizes a unique plant defense protease that disrupts the peritrophic matrix of caterpillars
http://www.pnas.org/content/99/20/13319.full.pdf+html?sid=2a60a6c3-ce5f-4bda-97ca-6d21fd81babe
G
Mimicry:
13- The evolution of imperfect floral mimicry
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/21/7484.full.pdf+html?sid=b5e6215a-6a27-4a55-8e84-3e41d3bbaacf
14- Dissecting comimetic radiations in Heliconius reveals divergent histories of convergent butterflies
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/16/7365.full.pdf?sid=3cd67337-f65a-4dfe-8d29-ddd092570a93
H
Symbiosis (symbiotic relationship):
15- Functional diversity in coral–dinoflagellate symbiosis
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/27/9256.full.pdf+html?sid=c1022308-f8e1-4de6-8ca9-a225fced2fe2
I
Parasitism
16- Evolution of bird eggs in the absence of cuckoo parasitism
http://www.pnas.org/content/102/50/18057.full.pdf+html?sid=a35b88c7-3e25-48ce-a4ca-1ae3f623468a
17- Functional diversity in coral– dinoflagellate symbiosis
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/27/9256.full.pdf?sid=b7f13902-e4c9-486b-ba89-45eb1007624b
J
Population fluctuations / synchrony
18- The effect of climatic forcing on population synchrony and genetic structuring of the Canadian lynx
http://www.pnas.org/content/101/16/6056.full.pdf+html?sid=dd29da2a-1ff0-424d-9f2a-feee3bcd1b29
K
Migration
19- Tracking of Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea reveals longest animal migration
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/5/2078.full.pdf?sid=cff4e362-bcef-4084-85da-8cdbe3cd6c23
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L
Energy flow in the ecosystem:
20A geometric model describing a quasi-equilibrium of energy flow in populations of stream insects
http://www.pnas.org/content/75/1/381.full.pdf+html?sid=20f691a0-b1dd-41f2-a3cb-fa25231b19c0
21Extraordinarily high spider densities on islands: Flow of energy
from the marine to terrestrial food webs and the absence of predation
http://www.pnas.org/content/92/10/4382.full.pdf?sid=4f673d97-7aeb-436b-be4e-8d423a2580a4
M
Food web interactions: Trophic levels
22- Trophic position influences the efficacy of seabirds
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/23/10543.full.pdf+html?sid=96ea21a6-adcc-477c-8606-c84116d1fdcc
23- Light, nutrients, and food-chain length constrain planktonic energy transfer efficiency across
multiple trophic levels
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/47/18408.full.pdf?sid=498a9ee6-3f69-429e-a894-7b9ac574d2b7
N
Human World Population growth :
24Evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging: Roles of infection, inflammation, and nutrition
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/suppl.1/1718.full.pdf+html?sid=b5194c80-ac2d-400c-af38-0912aaac05e8
[Please note – your article is a different type of article. Please see Ms. Oldham for further advice on your summary]
O
Human Demography
25A continuous climatic impact on Holocene human population in the Rocky Mountains
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/2/443.full.pdf?sid=b5e12492-df3d-48a3-a28d-c483ec6fb17c
P
Ecological footprint / extinctions / niche
26 - Recent ecological responses to climate change support predictions of high extinction risk
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/30/12337.full.pdf+html?sid=be39b131-02bc-473c-b0c4-94ef8a88f5f8
Q.
Population sampling, species richness, demography
27 - Multiscale assessment of patterns of avian species richness
http://www.pnas.org/content/94/24/13023.full.pdf+html?sid=732b47cf-7c80-40e7-b407-a50eeee5d497
R
Commensalism
28- Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication
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http://www.pnas.org/content/111/1/116.full.pdf?sid=4cb6ff16-d164-4e48-a079-945b2b64f149
S
Synchrony
29- Community-level phenological responseto climate change
http://www.pnas.org/content/110/33/13434.full.pdf?sid=ff1e8709-3724-4817-9c87-ea7661686903
T
Ecological Sampling / Capture recapture method AND equation
30Higher temporal variability of forest breeding bird communities in fragmented landscapes
http://www.pnas.org/content/95/13/7497.full.pdf?sid=918d8523-29af-4b6b-a60d-e8484cf71c0d
31-
Decreased winter severity increases viability of a montane frog population
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/19/8644.full.pdf?sid=918d8523-29af-4b6b-a60d-e8484cf71c0d
32- Tigers and their prey: Predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance
http://www.pnas.org/content/101/14/4854.full.pdf?sid=918d8523-29af-4b6b-a60d-e8484cf71c0d
33Survival differences and the effect of environmental instability on breeding dispersal in an Adélie
penguin meta-population
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/27/12375.full.pdf?sid=7138cf69-ad08-45b5-9cde-caa9947a58a3
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Appendix A
When referencing in your text, use the author-date in brackets system throughout your entire paper:
Fruit flies are commonly found hovering over ripe or decomposing vegetable matter. The fruit flies have
distinct sex chromosomes that can be observed under the microscope (Goldstein, 1982). Because they
reproduce rapidly, they are often used for research. Composting using coffee has been investigated in order to
help restaurateur with the massive amount of refuse (OMA, 2000).
When inserting a picture or graphic, write what it is, then the source directly underneath it:
Figure 1
Drosophila melanogaster
(http://eol.org/pages/733739/overview)
When you are inserting a graphic from your article, state so underneath it as well:
Figure 2
Species Richness and food assemblage
(Novotny et al., 2005 p. 12)
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WORKS CITED
Note how each source has an author, and a date of publication, as well as the date the source was accessed
(for web pages).
Note how the list is in alphabetical order by author last name.
Goldstein L.S.B., Hardy R.W., Lindsley D.L. (1982). Structural genes on the Y chromosomes of Drosophila
Melanogaster. Genetics. Vol. 69 pp. 7405-7409.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture. (2008). Compost Coffee A Study to Determine Whether or Not Compost
Coffee is Safe from a Food Safety Perspective. Retrieved May 1st, 2014 from
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/foodsafety/producers/composttea.htm
Schmidt J., Buddford M. (2004).
Composting through times. Retrieved May 1st, 2014 from
http://science.jrank.org/pages/1671/Composting-History.html
Smith, B. (2005).
A History of Human Agricultural Processes. Oxford University Press. London. 745p.
Sustainable Enterprise. (2002). Coffee and Gardening. Retrieved March 3rd 2014 from
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm
Wikipedia – Smith and Smith. (2008). Fruit flies. Retrieved January 4th, 2014 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_fly
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