Quantitative Methods and Ecological Inference
Zoology 6927
Fall 2006
All classes meet in 521 Carr, unless noted otherwise
Day |
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
Notes |
1- Scientific Method and Philosophy |
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Thurs. |
Aug 24 |
Introduction; The scientific method |
Optional:
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2 - Hypothesis Testing |
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Tues. |
Aug 29 |
Statistical hypothesis testing; Randomization tests; P-values. |
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Thurs. |
Aug 31 |
Statistical Power | Reference List: Stat. Power (pdf) | |
3 - Meta-analysis |
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Tues. |
Sep 05 |
Experimental Design: controls, replication (pseudoreplication), random assignment, cause-effect. |
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Reference List: Meta-analysis (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Sep 07 |
no class (qualifying exam) | ||
4 - Meta-analysis: group projects |
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Tues. |
Sep 12 |
Meta-analysis and quantitative synthesis. | Osenberg et al. (1999) Ecology 80:1105-1117. | |
Thurs. |
Sep 14 | Meta-analysis: lecture and discussion of group projects | none | 1 page proposal should include: context and conceptual background; available data; proposed approach. |
5 - Experimental Design I |
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Tues. |
Sep 19 |
Experimental design , continued: controls, nesting, confounding factors; additivity, pooling. | ||
Thurs. |
Sep 21 |
Discuss proposals and select group project. | 1 page proposals due in class (bring 15 copies) | |
6
- Experimental Design II |
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Tues. |
Sep 26 |
BACIPS and MPAs | none | Reference List: Expt design and BACIPS (pdf) |
Thurs. |
Sep 28 |
Workshop on ant-plant mutualisms | Bruna et al. 2004; Heil and McKey 2003; |
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7
- Meta-analysis |
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Tues. |
Oct 03 |
Estimation, likelihood, Bayesian approaches | Instructions
and worksheet for
data extraction. pdfs of studies |
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Thurs. |
Oct 05 |
(cont.) | ||
8
- Meta-analysis – 3 |
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Tues. |
Oct 10 |
Relative Importance | Reference List: Rel. Import. (pdf) | |
Thurs. |
Oct 12 |
Osenberg at NCEAS: students meet in class to discuss MA project; put data into excel database. | info for class | |
9
- Meta-analysis – 4 |
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Tues. |
Oct 17 |
Osenberg at NCEAS: students meet in class to discuss MA project; complete data entry; form subgroups | ||
Thurs. |
Oct 19 |
Discussion of MA database | ||
10
- Scaling issues I |
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Tues. |
Oct 24 |
Subgroup
discussions: report on ideas to class (re: questions, effect size metrics,
etc.)
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Thurs. |
Oct 26 |
Data transformations | Reference List for ratios and data transformations (pdf) | |
11 - Meta-analysis projects |
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Tues. |
Oct 31 |
Data transformations (continued); MetaWin | ||
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Nov 02 |
MetaWin | Rosenberg et al. (2000), especially Chapters 2, 4, & 5 (warning: huge file; don't try this at home) | Excel examples (PS, Snails, Den-dep) |
12
- Scaling issues II |
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Tues. |
Nov 07 |
Spurious correlation; nuisance variables. | Reference List for ratios and data transformations (pdf) | |
Thurs. |
Nov 09 |
Nuisance Variables; bivariate relationships | ||
13 - |
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Tues. |
Nov 14 |
No Class -- Working groups meet independently | ||
Thurs. |
Nov 16 |
No Class -- Working groups meet independently | Papers from group projects due via e-mail by noon; sent to entire class | |
14
- Null models / Multivariate approaches |
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Tues. |
Nov 21 |
No Class -- Work on reviews independently |
reviewing a paper (from Ben Bolker)
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Reviews of papers due via e-mail by noon; sent to entire class |
Thurs. |
Nov 23 |
Holiday -- No Class |
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15 - Multivariate approaches (cont.) |
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Tues. |
Nov 28 |
Bivariate relationships, multivariate approaches. | |
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Thurs. |
Nov 30 |
Presentations
of group projects:
Group 1: Ant behavior: Adrien,
Estelle, Leslie, Matt |
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16
- Group presentations |
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| Tues. | Dec 05 | No Class -- Work on paper revisions in working groups | Final version of group papers due on Dec. 6th (via e-mail to Osenberg), by 5pm. | |
Late updated: