Quantitative Methods and Ecological Inference
Zoology 6927
Fall 2002
All classes meet in 521 Carr, unless noted otherwise
Day |
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
Notes |
1- Scientific Method and Philosophy |
||||
Tues. |
Aug 27 |
Introduction; The scientific method |
Reference List: Hypothesis tests, P-values (pdf) | |
Thurs. |
Aug 29 |
Strong inference; alternative hypotheses (discussion) |
Loehle
(1987) Q. Rev. Biol. 62:397-409; Optional: Platt (1964) Science 146:347-352. |
|
2 - Hypothesis Testing |
||||
Tues. |
Sep 3 |
Statistical hypothesis testing; Randomization tests; P-values. | Johnson (1999) J. Wildlife Management 63:763-772. | Reference List: Stat. Power (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Sep 5 |
Statistical Power | Sample data set (Excel) | |
3 - Meta-analysis |
||||
Tues. |
Sep 10 |
Meta-analysis and quantitative synthesis | Osenberg et al. (1999) Ecology 80:1105-1117. | Reference List: Meta-analysis (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Sep 12 |
Meta-analysis: examples. | ||
4 - Meta-analysis: group projects |
||||
Tues. |
Sep 17 |
Group projects: presentations of ideas | 2 page proposals due in class (bring 10 copies) | |
Thurs. |
Sep 19 | Group projects: discussion and selection | ||
5 - Experimental Design I |
||||
Tues. |
Sep 24 |
Estimation; Likelihood; Bayesian statistics. Ben Bolker (guest lecturer) |
Pigliucci - web posting (null hypothesis tests and alternatives) | |
Thurs. |
Sep 26 |
The interpretation of cause-effect: controls, nesting, confounding factors; | Reference List: Expt design and BACIPS (pdf) | |
6
- Experimental Design II |
||||
Tues. |
Oct 01 |
Experimental Design: controls, replication (pseudoreplication), random assignment, additivity | Hurlbert (1984) Ecological Monographs | |
Thurs. |
Oct 03 |
Pooling, pseudoreplication | ||
7
- Meta-analysis |
||||
Tues. |
Oct 08 |
Limitation; Relative importance | Schmitt et al. (1999) | Reference List: Rel. Import. (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Oct
10 |
Work on group projects; discussion of issues and approaches | Working Groups | |
8
- Meta-analysis – 3 |
||||
Tues. |
Oct 15 |
Relative importance (cont.) | Sterner (1986) | |
Thurs. |
Oct 17 |
Subgroup reports; discussion | Subgroups present ideas for approach and database. | |
9
- Biodiversity
– 4 |
||||
Tues. |
Oct 22 |
Meta-analysis projects (covariate formats) | ||
Thurs. |
Oct 24 |
Meta-analysis projects (effect size data formats) | ||
10
- Scaling issues I |
||||
Tues. |
Oct 29 |
1)
Meta-analysis:
MetaWin 2) Relative Importance (cont); plant competition and indirect effects |
Rosenberg et al. (2000), especially Chapters 2, 4, & 5 (warning: huge file; don't try this at home) | Meet in McEdward CTL (611 Carr) |
Thurs. |
Oct 31 |
Meta-analysis projects | (CTF available during class time -- see Mike McCoy for access) | No class meeting; work on projects |
11 - Meta-analysis projects |
||||
Tues. |
Nov
05 |
Meta-analysis projects | (CTF available during class time-- see Mike McCoy for access) | No class meeting; work on projects |
Thurs. |
Nov 07 |
Meta-analysis projects | (CTF available during class time -- see Mike McCoy for access) | No class meeting; work on projects |
12
- Scaling issues II |
||||
Tues. |
Nov 12 |
Phylogenetic issues, and implications for meta-analysis. Suhel Quader & Kavita Isvaran (guest lecturers) | Felsenstein (1985) -- read at least the first 6 pages; Westoby et al. (1995); Harvey et al. (1995) | |
Thurs. |
Nov 14 |
Work on group projects | ||
13 - |
||||
Tues. |
Nov
19 |
Heterogeneity: causes, effects, and implications | Shima and Osenberg (in press) Ecology. | Papers from group projects due in class (6 copies) |
Thurs. |
Nov 21 |
Impact assessment designs, BACIPS | ||
14
- Null models / Multivariate approaches |
||||
Tues. |
Nov 26 |
Allometry, General structural models |
|
Reference List for ratios and data transformations (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Nov 28 |
Holiday -- No Class |
|
|
15 - Multivariate approaches (cont.) |
||||
Tues. |
Dec 03 |
Multi-variate statistics | |
Reviews of papers due in class. (bring 4 copies) |
Thurs. |
Dec 05 |
Discuss meta-analysis projects | |
|
16
- Group presentations |
||||
| Tues. | Dec 10 | Presentations
of group projects:
Group 1: Dimitri,
Nat, Nate |
Final version of group papers due on Friday, Dec. 13th (preferably via e-mail) | |
Late updated: