Experimental Design in Ecology: Analyzing Song Sparrow Habitats

BIOL*2060DE Ecology Tutorial 3 Tutorial 3 - Experimental Design in Ecology 30 marks (5% of final grade) Remember to review online rubric prior to completing Tutorial Worksheet Practice going through two examples of an experimental design (ETCRRR) given an ecological observation, hypothesis and prediction. Before completing the worksheet, make sure you have reviewed the following: 1. Tutorial 3 Content 2. Principles of Experimental Design ETCRRR 1

BIOL*2060DE Ecology Tutorial 3 P ART 1 KEU: What is the impact of increasing the riparian buffer zone along agricultural streams on song sparrow abundance? Note: The riparian buffer is the area adjacent to a stream that contains, trees, shrubs, grasses, and other perennial plants. Hypothesis: Total riparian buffer area is positively related to song sparrow abundance because riparian buffers provide nesting sites of higher quality than agricultural fields for ground-nesting song sparrows. Prediction: As riparian buffer zone area increases, the number of occupied song sparrow nests per square km of agricultural land will increase. (12 marks) E: Song Sparrows T: Different sizes of riparian buffer zone areas, measured by square kilometres (km^2) C: A segment of land adjacent to an agricultural stream with no riparian buffer zone because it’s the closest thing to what would be considered a “baseline” R: Utilizing the Rule of 10 , we should use 10 sampling plots per field site, and 10 sampling plots per control R: Each sampling plot will be assigned a number and a random number generator will be used to generate which sampling plots will be used for the experiment 2

BIOL*2060DE Ecology Tutorial 3 R: the number of occupied song sparrow nests per square km of agricultural land Part 2 - KEU, Hypothesis, Predictions and ETCRRR for your Case Study Project (18 marks) Please answer the following questions, which are related to your Case Study Project. Key Ecological Uncertainty (KEU): What impact does an increase of carbon dioxide have on the body growth rate of transgenic American chestnut seedlings? Hypothesis: Increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere positively affects the growth rate of transgenic american chestnut seedlings because their net photosynthetic rate will scale linearly with the increased carbon dioxide present. Prediction: As carbon dioxide concentration increases, the height and diameter for transgenic american chestnut seedlings will increase E: Transgenic American Chestnut Seedlings T: Different concentration gradients of carbon dioxide, measured in parts per million (ppm) C: Since carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have varied over time (especially when american chestnut were abundant in their natural range), it’s difficult to determine what a “baseline” would be. Assuming this experiment will be conducted in today’s day and age, the baseline would be the current global 3

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BIOL*2060DE Ecology Tutorial 3 average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere R: Utilizing the Rule of 10 , we will replicate the number of transgenic American chestnut seedlings used for treatment and have 10 control seedlings as well R: Each american chestnut seedling will be assigned a number and a random number generator will be used to choose which seedlings will be chosen for the experiment R: the height and diameter for transgenic american chestnut seedlings 4

Tutorial 3 - Assignment

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