please find the attachment
Thepaper will examine survivorship of riparian trees in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Introduction and Method sections this paper is due Sunday 5th, and the final complete paper is due Sunday, April 19th
· Calculate k and r
Duckweed Lab:
An Experimental Study of Population Growth
able 1: Data sheet for recording duckweed population growth. A, B, and C represent the control or distilled water treatments, while D, E, and F represent the fertilizer treatments. Twice a week, count the number of individuals (N) in each cup and record them below.
Thus far, each group has uploaded their completed duckweed data onto Moodle. For statistical analyses, these data should be compiled together and reorganized. As with the previous lab, I have done the former but you have to do the latter. Before you begin, download the Class Data Excel spreadsheet from Moodle. Also make sure that K and r were calculated correctly.
15. First, calculate the average population of all groups’ Treatment 1 (all control; A, B, and C together) from the initial day.
16. Then, repeat the process for each day of Treatment 1. You should have a total of nine averages.
17. Do the same for Treatment 2 (fertilizer treatments or D, E, and F together).
18. Then, graph the growth curve of Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 using the class averages. Remember which axis the independent variable goes. The graph should have two growth curves, which are Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 averages per day.
19. Next, perform an ANOVA comparing K between the treatments and construct a graph that shows this comparison with the appropriate error bars.
20. Finally, perform an ANOVA comparing r between the treatments and construct a graph that shows this comparison with the appropriate error bars.
Specific requirements for the final paper
Introduction: Below is an outline of how the Introduction for this paper should be organized and what information should be included. Be sure to use scientific literature to support your explanations.
· Start with a paragraph that broadly explains what the experiment is about. What is the main idea of the experiment and why is it important to test? Think about the big picture of this second part of the class.
· The next paragraph should be about growth curves. Explain what growth curves are and how they relate to the main idea of the experiment.
· The third paragraph should introduce the experimental system. Why is Lemna minor an ideal organism for the experiment? What can it tell us about growth curves and the main idea? How might the treatments affect the growth curves?
· The last paragraph should explain how experimenting on Lemna minor will help us understand growth curves and the main idea (What is your objective?). Don’t forget to include your biological hypothesis and make sure your references in the previous paragraphs back it up.
Results: Below is a list of specific figures that need to be included in the final paper.
· A figure showing the class average growth curves of Treatment 1 and 2.
· A figure comparing the class average of K between Treatment 1 and 2. Be sure to include the appropriate error bars that match the results of the ANOVA.
· A figure comparing the class average of r between Treatment 1 and 2. Be sure to include the appropriate error bars that match the results of the ANOVA.
Writing
Guidelines and Rubric
Writing Guidelines and Rubric
Writing Guidelines and Rubric
One of the major goals of the laboratory section of this course is to develop scientific writing skills. Students are required to write three (3) formal laboratory reports. These formal reports should follow the format of primary research papers found in scientific journals. This handout is a guideline describing the required structure for a formal report with the rubric for grading (Table 1).
Table 1: This is the general rubric used for evaluating formal laboratory reports based on the guidelines explained below. A detailed rubric follows the guidelines (Table 2).
Item
Percentage Value
Title
5
Abstract
15
Introduction
15
Methods
15
Results
15
Discussion
15
Literature Cited
10
Formatting
10
Total
100
· The title must be descriptive and informative. You can try to attract the reader’s attention, but this can often result in a misleading statement. In comparing the two titles below, the first certainly grabs the reader’s attention, but is the ocean really boiling? The second title is more descriptive, informative, and accurate.
o “Boiling Sea Food: The Effects of Temperature and Salinity on the Mass
Mortality of Pisaster ochraceus Along the California Coastline.” o “Increased Ocean Temperature May Result in Mass Mortality of Pisaster ochraceus Along the California Coastline.”
· The title should also contain the major result, specifically whether or not there is a relationship between the independent and dependent variables (or two independent variables). The second title clearly states that an increase in ocean temperature may result in mass mortality. The first title vaguely describes some effect of temperature and salinity on mass mortality.
· Finally, the title should identify the focus species, if applicable. In both titles, the species is clearly identified.
· Below the title should be the author’s name, their institution, and their institution’s address.
An abstract is a concise summary of the paper. It should provide all the relevant information needed for the reader to understand the scope of the study. Abstracts do not include references and the best abstracts are written after all the other parts of the paper have been written. Abstracts should include the following:
· an orientation to the theme of the experiment; the general purpose for conducting the study
· the specific objective of the experiment with the hypotheses
· a description of the most important methods
· the specific results that addresses the hypotheses, with statistical values
· a conclusion that addresses the general importance of the experiment, with respect to the theme
The rationale of the introduction is to logically discuss the importance and the purpose and importance of the study. It is typically organized in an inverted triangle format, such that the first paragraph provides a broad background of the study. The introduction then gradually narrows to the last paragraph that provides the specific hypotheses of the study. Below is a general outline, but please follow the specific requirements detailed in the lab handouts.
· The introduction should start with a broad background to orient the reader to the general theme (natural selection, fitness, demography, biodiversity, etc.), and why it is important to study.
· The second part of the introduction should provide the premise of the study. What is currently known about the theme? What similar studies have been conducted to address the theme and what are their results? This is where most of the previous studies are used to make a case for the purpose of the study. This part may consist of multiple paragraphs that each discuss a single topic.
· The third part of the introduction should discuss what is still unknown about the subject. What is the study trying to answer? How will the study attempt to contribute to the body of knowledge about the theme?
· Finally, the introduction should provide a testable hypothesis with predictions. “Testable” means that there is a way to gather data and the data can be analyzed to find an answer.
· The methods should contain enough detail so that the experiment can be repeated. This should include the statistical analyses.
· The methods should be written in paragraph format.
· The methods should be written in past tense because it outlines what procedures were done.
· Do you best to use passive voice.
· The methods should identify the control (if any) and treatments.
· Similarly, the methods should identify the independent variables and dependent (if any) variables.
· The methods should explain why specific procedures were taken.
· For example, “The salinity of each tide pool observed was measured using a Vernier LabQuest 2 with a salinity probe. The salinity was measured in parts per thousand (ppt) and it was collected to determine whether there was a relationship with the size of Lottia gigantea, such that smaller individuals were associated with more saline conditions.”
· Statistical analyses should be explicitly stated, especially how the test could support the hypothesis.
· For example, “A chi-squared test was performed to examine whether the population of D. melanogaster deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium during the course of the experiment. A significant difference in allele frequency between the beginning and the end of the experiment will show that at least one criterion of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium has been violated.”
· If data were collected in the field, the study site should be provided.
There are two components that need to be in the results. The first component is a written summary of the data trends and statistics. The second component is figures and/or tables that graphically display the trends and statistics. The written summary has to come before the figures and tables; the former provides the context for the latter. Additionally, the results should contain as few figures and tables as possible. If a table is showing the same information as a figure, get rid of the table.
· The written summary should objectively state the overall outcomes and general trends of the experiment in paragraph format. Describing each datum is not useful or informative.
· The results should not include any raw data; manipulated data are okay.
· The results should not include interpretations of the results; interpretations belong in the discussion section.
· The results should include the statistical significance/insignificance (p-values) as often as they are mentioned.
· The figures and tables should be referenced in the written summary and are numbered independently.
· “Figure 1 shows…”
· “…population increased (Table 1).”
· The figures and tables should be arranged in order of reference (sequentially). Do not talk about Figure 2 first if Figure 1 appears first. If you must, change the order of the figures and tables.
· The results should include the fewest number of figures and tables as possible.
· If figures are included, descriptive captions should be placed below the figure. The importance of descriptive captions is that the figure (or table) should be clear enough to stand on their own.
· For example, “Figure 1: During the four weeks of sampling, the number of A alleles (black lines) increased while the number of a alleles (gray lines) decreased in D. melanogaster. Weekly data are averaged and error bars are provided to show the variation in the data. Population allelic frequencies for Week 3 through Week 5 were statistically significant (p<0.05) when compared to the initial population.”
· Figures should have axes clearly labeled with the appropriate units. If you have dependent variables, it should be placed on the y-axis.
· Do not include gridlines as they obscure the data.
· Titles are not necessary, as the caption should provide this information.
· The data should fill the figure and the figure should be large enough to show detail.
· If tables are included, they should convey a different set of information from the figures.
If not, keep the figure and get rid of the table.
· Descriptive captions should be placed above the table.
· For example, “Table 1: Pairwise genetic distances of 16S rRNA among specimens of Amusium pleuronectes, Ylistrum balloti, and Ylistrum japonicum. Asterisks (*) indicate the Ylistrum specimens. Values below the diagonal indicate percent sequence similarity; pairwise comparisons above the diagonal are presented as a heat map, with dark shades representing higher similarities between sequences. Labels for Amusium and Ylistrum specimens are as follows: source (SL, Serb Lab; GB, Genbank), unique numerical identifier, and country (AU, Australia; CN, China; JP, Japan; NC, New Caledonia; PH, Philippines; QL, Queensland, Australia; TH, Thailand; WA, Western Australia, Australia).”
· Tables should have clearly labeled column and row headings with units (as necessary). If you have dependent variables, they should be the column headings.
The purposes of the discussion are to explain how the experiment supports or do not support the hypotheses, and to explain how the experiment relate to the general theme discussed in the introduction. As opposed to the introduction, the discussion follows a normal triangle (not inverted) format, such that the first paragraph discusses the specific outcomes of the study. The discussion then gradually broadens to the last paragraph explaining the overall importance of the study.
· The first part of the discussion should restate the hypotheses, the major outcomes, and the general trends. It should also state whether the outcomes and trends do or do not support the hypotheses.
· The second part of the discussion should explain how the experiment helped in understanding of the general theme. This should discuss similarities and/or differences in results comparing similar studies. Be careful with making overly broad generalizations. What do the results mean and what do they not mean?
· The third part of the discussion should explain how the experiment did not help in understanding of the general theme. You may discuss the limitations and unexpected outcomes of the study and how the experiment could be refined to further help in understanding the general theme. However, do not state any errors. Errors should have been avoided or corrected.
· The discussion should then conclude with a summary of the overall importance, to science and to society, of examining the general theme.
The format of references vary. For this course, use the following guidelines:
· The references must be listed alphabetically, by the first author’s last name.
· The references must have the “hanging” paragraph format, as shown in the examples below.
· There must be at least three (3) primary and peer-reviewed references.
· Primary means that the authors who wrote the reference conducted the study.
Books are considered secondary literature.
· Peer-reviewed means other scientists read the study and agreed it was acceptable for publication.
· All three (3) references must be cited in the text.
· The in-text citations must be formatted according to the following conventions:
· One author
· “Chan (2000) found that…”
· “According to Chan (2000), the…”
· “was not a major factor (Chan, 2000).” o Two authors
· “García and Smith (2000) found that…”
· “According to García and Smith (2000), the…”
· “was not a major factor (García and Smith, 2000).” o Three or more authors (“et al.” is Latin for “and others.” Alternatively, one can write “and colleagues” or “and coauthors.”)
· “Smith et al. (2000) found that…”
· “Smith and colleagues (2000) found that…” § “Smith and coauthors (2000) found that…”
· “According to Smith et al. (2000), the…”
· “According to Smith and colleagues (2000), the…”
· “According to Smith and coauthors (2000), the…”
· “was not a major factor (Smith et al., 2000).”
· The references should either be in APA or Harvard format.
· For example, Journal article in APA format:
Spoelstra, K., Wikelski, M., Daan, S., Loudon, A. S., & Hau, M. (2016). Natural selection against a circadian clock gene mutation in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
113
(3), 686-691.
· For example, Journal article in Harvard format:
Spoelstra, K., Wikelski, M., Daan, S., Loudon, A. S. and Hau, M., 2016. Natural selection against a circadian clock gene mutation in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
113
(3), pp.686-691.
· For example, Book in Harvard format:
Fisher, R.A., 1930. The genetical theory of natural selection: a complete variorum edition. Oxford University Press.
There is a general format that most research papers follow, but many vary. The most important format to follow is the one provided by the publisher or instructor. For this course, use the following guidelines:
· You must submit the report as a Word document so that the following items can be assessed. If another document type is submitted, points will be deducted because the correct formatting cannot be evaluated.
· A cover page is not necessary.
· There is no page limit.
o The reason for this is that the focus needs to be on communicating what the research is about, not on how many pages it takes. Additionally, people’s communication skills vary. However, there are some general patterns. For example, a four-page report tends to lack sufficient information and detail. In contrast, a 30-page report tends to be verbose and tangential. As with any writing assignment, the best way to start is by creating an outline. An outline ensures that only the necessary and relevant information are in the report and it will help in being organized and staying on task.
· Use 1.5 spacing paragraph format.
· Use either Arial or Times (New Roman) fonts.
· Use the standard 12-point font size.
· Use the standard one-inch margins on all sides of the paper.
· Use page numbers. It does not matter where on the page they are, just be consistent.
· Use the appropriate measurement units where necessary. Science uses the metric system, so make sure units are in meters, liters, or grams.
· Use the correct species scientific names. Below is the scientific name of the common fruit fly written in two acceptable forms. The genus name is always capitalized but the species name is never capitalized. The entire species name is either italicized or underlined, but not both.
o Drosophila melanogaster o Drosophila melanogaster
o When the species is first introduced, the full species scientific name should be used (as above). Subsequent mention of the species can be shortened as D. melanogaster (or D. melanogaster).
· The report must be organized as this guideline is presented: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Literature Cited.
· Each section of the report should have a natural flow from one idea to another. It should not jump back and forth between ideas.
· Similarly, each paragraph should have a natural flow with a topic sentence about a single concept, a body that supports the idea, and a conclusion or transition sentence.
· Be sure the report is easy to read (clear and effective communication); keep spelling and grammar errors to a minimum.
Table 2: Below is a detailed rubric used for evaluating formal laboratory results. A P will indicate the specific criterion is met and will receive a score of 10. An O will indicate the specific criterion is not met and will receive a score of 5. “Most” and “some” will indicate two different levels of meeting the criterion, such that “most” will receive a score of 8 while “some” will receive a score of 7.5. A “0” will indicate no attempt was made to address the criterion and will receive a score of 0. A “-” will indicate that the criterion is does not apply and will not be scored.
Title: Criteria |
Evaluation |
Percentage (5) |
|||||||
Is it descriptive and informative? |
|||||||||
Does it contain the major result with respect to the variables? |
|||||||||
Is the focus species identified (if applicable)? |
|||||||||
Is the author’s name included and formatted correctly? |
|||||||||
Is the author’s institution included and formatted correctly? |
|||||||||
Is the institution’s address included and formatted correctly? |
|||||||||
Abstract: Criteria |
Percentage (15) |
||||||||
Is the general purpose of the study stated? |
|||||||||
Is the specific objective stated? |
|||||||||
Are the hypotheses stated? |
|||||||||
Is the most important method described? |
|||||||||
Is the result that addresses the hypotheses stated? |
|||||||||
Are statistical values provided? |
|||||||||
Is a conclusion provided? |
|||||||||
Does the conclusion address the general importance of the experiment? |
|||||||||
There should not be any references. |
|||||||||
Introduction: Criteria |
|||||||||
Does it follow an inverted triangle format? |
|||||||||
Is the general theme explained? |
|||||||||
Is the importance of the general theme explained? |
|||||||||
Does the introduction explain what is known about the subject? |
|||||||||
Does the introduction discuss similar studies and their results? |
|||||||||
Does the introduction discuss what is unknown about the subject? |
|||||||||
Does the introduction provide the purpose of the experiment? |
|||||||||
Does the introduction discuss how the experiment will contribute to the body of knowledge about the theme? |
|||||||||
Does the last paragraph contain a testable hypothesis? |
|||||||||
Methods: Criteria |
|||||||||
Can the experiment be repeated with the information provided? |
|||||||||
Is the methods written in paragraph format? |
|||||||||
Is the methods written in past tense? |
|||||||||
Is passive voice used? |
|||||||||
Are the controls (if any) and treatments identified? |
|||||||||
Are the dependent (if any) and independent variables identified? |
|||||||||
Do the methods explain why specific procedures were taken? |
|||||||||
Were the statistical tests explicitly stated? |
Were the statistical tests appropriate to answer the hypotheses? |
||
Is the study site provided (if applicable)? |
||
Results: Criteria |
||
Does the section contain text that describes the trends? |
||
Is the text written in paragraph format? |
||
The text should not include each datum. |
||
The text should not include raw data. |
||
The text should not include interpretations. |
||
Does the text include statistical significance/insignificance (pvalues)? |
||
Does the text appear before any figures and tables? |
||
Are figures included? |
||
Are figures referenced in the text? |
||
Are the figures numbered independently? |
||
Are the figures ordered sequentially? |
||
Do the figures contain descriptive captions? |
||
Are the captions placed below the figure? |
||
Do the figure captions include p-values (if applicable)? |
||
Are the figure axes clearly labeled? |
||
Are the units included in the axes’ labels (if applicable)? |
||
Are the dependent variables on the y-axis (if applicable)? |
||
The figures should not have any gridlines. |
||
The figures should not have any titles. |
||
Does the data fill the figure? |
||
Is the figure easy to read? |
||
Are tables included? |
||
Are tables referenced in the text? |
||
Do the tables show different information from the figures? |
||
Are the tables numbered independently? |
||
Are the tables ordered sequentially? |
||
Do the tables include descriptive captions? |
||
Are the table captions placed above the table? |
||
Do the table captions include p-values (if applicable)? |
||
Are the rows and columns clearly labeled? |
||
Are the units included in the row and column labels (if applicable)? |
||
Are the dependent variables on the column headings (if applicable)? |
||
Is the table easy to read? |
||
Does the section contain the fewest number of figures and tables? |
||
Discussion: Criteria |
||
Does the section follow a non-inverted triangle format? |
||
Are the hypotheses restated? |
||
Are the major outcomes and general trends restated? |
||
Is the support (or lack thereof) of the hypotheses explained? |
||
Is an explanation given on how the experiment helped in understanding the general theme? |
||
Is the experiment compared to similar studies? |
||
There should not be any overly broad generalizations made. |
||
Are the limitations discussed? |
||
Are the unexpected outcomes discussed? |
||
Are future directions discussed? |
||
There should not be any errors discussed. |
||
Is the overall importance to science discussed? |
||
Is the overall importance to society discussed? |
||
Literature Cited: Criteria |
Percentage (10) |
|
Are they listed alphabetically? |
||
Are they in “hanging” paragraph format? |
||
Are there at least three (3) primary and peer-reviewed references? |
||
Are they all cited in the text? |
||
Are the in-text citations properly formatted? |
||
Are they in APA format? |
||
Formatting: Criteria |
||
Is the report a Word document? |
||
There should not be a cover page. |
||
Does the report use the 1.5 spacing? |
||
Is it written in either Arial or Times (New Roman) fonts? |
||
Is it written using the 12-point font? |
||
Does it have one-inch margins on all sides of the paper? |
||
Does it have page numbers? |
||
Are the appropriate measurement units used? |
||
Are scientific names properly formatted? |
||
Is the report organized (similar to the guideline)? |
||
Does every section have a natural flow? |
||
Does every paragraph consist of a single topic? |
||
Is the report clear and easy to read? |
BIOL/ENVS251 Spring 2020 Updated 20/02/20 Alejandrino 1
BIOL/ENVS251 Spring 2020 Updated 20/02/20 Alejandrino 1