Welcome to Ecology Lab!
On index card
• Name
• E-mail address
• Phone number
• Major & Year
• Other science courses (relevant/helpful to 335)
• Allergy/health concerns?
• Your favorite animal or plant & why
Welcome to Ecology Lab!
335L
TA: Alycia Reynolds Lackey
Spring 2010
About me . . .
Contact
Alycia Reynolds Lackey
• E-mail: reyno340@msu.edu
• Office phone: 517-432-5555
• Office: 305 Natural Science
Teaching & Research
• 7th semester teaching
• 4th year Ph.D. student in Zoology
Stickleback Research
• Two species differ in
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Morphology
Diet
Behavior
Feeding habitat
Mating habitat
Loss of distinct species
Crayfish cause ecological
disturbance
– Remove vegetation
– Increase turbidity
– Change resource base?
How does this affect
– Feeding?
– Mating behavior?
- Reproductive success?
- Survival?
Office Hours
In this room
• TA: Grace
– Mon 10:30-11:30a
– Tue 3-4p
• TA: Alycia
– Thu 12-1p
– Fri 11a-12p
– By appt.
Course Resources
• Course pack
• Syllabus
• Website: ANGEL
• TAs: Alycia & Grace
• Lab Coordinator
– Stephen Thomas
thoma549@msu.edu
Course Overview
• Brief course description
– Ecology research (field component)
– Scientific process, Scientific writing
• Expectations
Arrive on time & be prepared
Drinks OK, but no food
Course Overview
• Course Components (pgs 2-3)
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10 Lab Activities (10 pts each)
4 Quizzes (10 pts each)
Group Project (230 pts overall)
TA Review – Participation (20 pts)
Plagiarism Activity (10 pts)
Stats exercise (10 pts)
TOTAL = 410pts
Course Overview
• Late work & absences
• Schedule (swap weeks 8 & 10)
Your Coursepack
- Labs
- Group Research Project (pg 135)
- Appendices
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Appendix 1 - Analyzing your data (pg 172)
Appendix 2 - Excel Data Analyses (pg 191)
Appendix 3 - Referencing Guidelines (pg 194)
Appendix 4 & 5 - Common species in woodlots (pg 197)
Getting to know you
As a class
- Share your name & fav animal/plant
In groups of 3-4
- Introduce yourself
- Develop working definition of ecology
(working definition = you can change it as you learn more)
- Come up with 4 examples of ecology
- Elect 1 person to share with class
What is Ecology?
The study of organisms
and their interactions with the environment
What “counts” as the environment?
What examples of ecology can you think of?
The Scientific Method
Bkgd
knowledge
Observation
Hypothesis
Not consistent
Modify
Hypothesis
Test (Experiment)
Consistent
Theory
Prediction
Today’s Lab
• Pose an ecological question
• How?
– Observe surroundings
– Ask any question that comes
to mind
• Why?
– Questions drive science
– Basis for semester project
Forming Groups
Are you more interested to study . . .
• Animals or Plants?
Behavior
Birds
Flowers
Erosion
Insects
Fungi
Soil
Human impacts
Mammals
Biodiversity
Water
River ecology
• Share your interests with > 6 classmates
• Form groups of 3 with members that have
similar interests
Group Work
• Exchange names & contact info
• Make group name
* List behaviors that
- Benefit group work
- Hinder group work
* Share your personal behaviors/skills that tend to
benefit & hinder group work
* How can you work together to be most effective?
Developing Scientific Questions
• Good Scientific Questions
– Answered by experiment or observation
– Well-defined, measurable and controllable
– Answers benefit who? How much?
From Abedon, Ohio State University
Tips to ask “good” questions
– Ask something you don’t already know the answer to
– Look at multiple relationships
(multiple potentially contributing factors)
– Ask a wh- question
• What, when, why
After the Question
• Form a hypothesis
– An educated answer to the question posed
• Make some predictions
– What do you expect?
– Usually have direction/relationship (greater,
smaller, etc.)
• Develop Methods
– How can you test your hypothesis
– Use your predictions as a guide
Example
Question: What determines the height
of squirrel nests?
Hypothesis: Tree density determines height of
squirrel nest
Prediction: The height of squirrel nests will vary
with tree density.
If….(hypothesis)
Then….(prediction)
Example
Observation: Abundance of ladybugs on flowering
goldenrod plants.
Question:
Why are ladybugs attracted to these plants?
Hypothesis: Goldenrod flowers are a food source for
ladybugs
Prediction 1: Ladybugs will eat the flowers of goldenrod
Prediction 2: Ladybugs will not eat the stem of goldenrod
Prediction 3: Ladybugs are not as abundant on nonflowering goldenrod
What You’ll Do Today (pg 6)
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Walk to Sanford Natural Area
Individually, write 3-5 questions
Return to class
In your groups,
– Discuss Questions
– Develop hypotheses and
predictions
– Share best with class
*Need Project Question (pg 138)
by Jan 25 (Mon section)
or Jan 26 (Tue section)
Map
Group Discussion of Questions
Discuss questions
• Select top 3 questions based on
– Interest & Importance
– Connection to background knowledge
(i.e. does the question make sense/is it
interesting based on what you already know?)
• Fill out pg. 8 (1 sheet per group)
• See pgs 6-7 for more guidance
Brainstorm Group Research
Project Questions
• Does not have to be the same as 3
questions developed today
• Some examples:
– Behaviors of squirrels, ducks, insects
– Soil pH & plant abundance
– Effect of river distance on plant diversity
• Next time, bring finalized group project
question (typed)
Turn in pg 8 before you leave.
Write all names on sheet
Assignments due by Tue, Jan 26
• No lab next week
• Complete plagiarism exercise on ANGEL
• Read Gall Lab
• Read over Group Research project
• Bring finalized group question to class next
time we meet pg. 138 (please type)