Estimating+Populations+TA+Manual

Equipment per group: - one 30-m tape - one compass - 4 flags - 1 meter stick Objectives: - Get introduced to some basic field techniques that will be useful for group projects. - Core to most field studies: random sampling and issues of adequate sample sizes, learning to sample properly and be aware of the problems To start the lab, walk with your students into the Sanford. Show them different plant species that dominate this habitat. Explain the methods and how to use the random number table with a compass to determine their sampling location. Have them collect data from a 5 by 5 quadrat and a 10 by 1 quadrat and the point-quarter method. During the class period, you will be doing a mark recapture experiment with the students using rubber bands. Gather them around and brainstorm questions that you might ask about populations in Sanford. Narrow it down to the two best ones. Divide the groups between the 2 questions and have them collect data to answer those questions. Come back to the lab and graph their data and talk about the statistics they could run on their data. Help explain how to scale their data from their quadrats up to 1 hectare. Compile the class data from the 5by5 and 10by1 quadrats. Have a short group discussion; highlight importance of random sampling, sample size and replication, and how all those can affect the results. They will turn in their quadrat estimates and conversion to hectares, point quarter estimates, and their hypotheses and proposed statistical tests. -- Grading: 10 points total 3 points total for hypothesis and stats 3 points total for point quarter calculation 3 points total for quadrat estimates 1 point for overall quality Things to comment on  topic idea and research question * hypotheses and matching predictions * potential methods aren’t too unwieldy -
 * Lab 2: Estimating population size**
 * Group Project Topic Assignment : **