WLF 448: Fish & Wildlife Population Ecology

Fall 2004

Lab 1: INTRODUCTION

Fall 2004

I. Teaching Assistants:

II. Location and Meeting Time of Lab Sections:

III. About the Lab

A. Purpose of Lab

The purpose of the laboratory is to give you experience in the quantitative aspects of population ecology that are essential for both understanding the dynamics of populations and for managing populations of fish and wildlife. At the end of this course, you should be able to use models and data wisely to address pressing questions involving the management and conservation of fish and wildlife populations.

B. Computer programs will be used to:

1. Explore the quantitative methods for estimating population parameters such as abundance, density, survival, and growth rate,

2. Illustrate principles of population ecology (e.g., population growth, population regulation, demography, species interactions), and

3. Demonstrate practical uses of concepts presented in lecture.

C. Problem Sets

You will receive weekly problem sets (assignments) worth 20 points each. Lab assignments are due the following week at the beginning of class. For each day that an assignment is late, 2 points will be deducted from the respective grade up to a maximum of one half the points.

In most cases, your answers to the problem set will consist of :

1. Hard copy (printout) of data and/or command-file

2. Condensed or edited output

3. Answers to questions written clearly and concisely.

NOTE: Output for problem sets should be neat and organized. Answers to discussion questions should be typed, double-spaced, and consist of complete sentences and thoughts. Points will be deducted for repeated misspelling, incomplete sentences, and poor grammar. Consult with each other on program applications but work independently otherwise (i.e., do your own work when answering questions and interpreting results).

D. Software

Ecological software used in this lab will be available on the Novell Network under k:\classes\wlf\448. Note: you cannot run the software from the k: drive. You must copy the program and data files to your personal directory on the H: drive or to a zip disk.  It is strongly recommended that you use a zip disk because you will be able to take all the software and your work with you when you leave the University. You can copy the programs and data files using Windows. However, some programs used in this lab are DOS-based software and, therefore, will not run properly in the Windows environment. Consequently, you will need to learn basic DOS commands for file management, editing, and running software.

You will need a Novell account to store files on the H: drive. If you do not have a Novell Account, go to the ITS Help Desk located in room 133 in the Administration building.  They are open Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm during the school year.  You can also contact the Help Desk by phone at 208-HELP (4357) or by e-mail at helpdesk@uidaho.edu. They will set up an account, give you a password, and allocate hard drive space on the H: drive for your personal directory.

It is a good idea to backup your files on a regular basis, especially your data and document files. Every computer in Admin 225 has a 100Mb ZIP drive, which may be your best option for backing up large or many files. ZIP disks can be purchased from the bookstore. If you want to copy files for use on a personal computer at home, you will need to provide your own ZIP disks.

IV. General Format of Labs

1. 15-20 min. review/discussion of the previous week's topic and assignment (student presentation - 1 group of 2 students each week)

2. 30-45 min. introduction to the current lab topic. Note: lab topics may not always coincide with lecture topics. When this occurs, the TA may need to spend more time discussing background information and theory.

3. Demonstration of computer program/simulation

4. In-class exercise

5. Problem set (due the following week)

V. Attendance

Students are responsible for all material covered in labs, including material presented by Teaching Assistants, and instructor as well as in student presentations.

If you must arrive late or leave early due to other commitments, please inform your TA beforehand. In such cases it is your responsibility to get notes from another student. Do not expect the TA to spend an hour of their office time repeating the lab presentation or demonstration that you missed.  And you will be expected to hand in your lab problem set on the day it is due. 

VI. Student Presentations

A. Purpose

The purpose of the student presentation is to give each student experience in:

    1. Organizing and preparing technical information

    2. Giving oral presentations

    3. Answering technical questions

    4. Using audio-visual equipment

In addition, the presentations will serve as a concise review of the previous week's topic, methodology, and provide opportunity to discuss and debate answers to the problem set.

Note: Some students in the past have viewed the review session/student presentations as a "waste of time" because the problem set was already completed. Furthermore, students often do not like to ask questions of other students because they know they will have to present a topic also. However, asking questions and discussing completed work can be a valuable educational tool for both students and working professionals. We encourage you to view the student presentations as a chance for class discussion and debate about the merits of a topic. Consequently, we encourage you to ask questions of the student presenters, the TAs, and the instructor.

B. Groups:

You will work together in groups of 2-3 students, depending on class size. Each group will review 1 topic. The TA will assign students to groups and topics. Groups and assigned topics will be announced at the beginning of Lab #2, and a list will be posted on this web site (see Student Presentations). Each member of the group is expected to contribute to the presentation and discussion, i.e., it should be a group effort. However, how you divide up the preparation work and actual presentation is up to you.

C. Topics:

Student presentations will cover 10 topics (Labs 3-12; see Lab Schedule). There will be 1 presentation per week, beginning with a presentation on Lab 3 at the beginning of Lab 4 during the week of September 14, 2004.  That means a presentation on Sept. 14 for Lab Section #1, Sept. 16 for Lab Section #2, and Sept. 17 for Lab Section #3.

D. Format:

Presentations will be 10-12 minutes long, with an additional 5 minutes for questions and answers (total time = 15-17 minutes). This is similar to time limits for presentations at professional meetings. The TA will act as a moderator to make sure each group stays within their allotted presentation time and the class discussion does not dwell on any 1 question for too long. Because your time is limited, you must present the information in a concise, organized manner (i.e., only the most pertinent information should be presented).

How you organize your presentation is up to each group. However, we recommend the following approach:

1. Introduction (e.g., brief review of main ecological concepts or principles),

2. Problem identification (i.e., brief description of problem set),

3. Methodology (e.g., describe data collection, analysis methods, assumptions, etc.),

4. Results (usually presented as tables and/or figures), and

5. Discussion and Conclusions (e.g., interpretation of results, validity of results, potential applications, discussion questions, new questions, etc.).

Several visual aids will be available for your use, including an overhead projector, a liquid-crystal-display (LCD) screen, and an old-fashioned chalk board. The LCD can be used to project computer-generated text or graphics onto a screen at the front of the classroom. Note: computer-generated presentations do not cost you anything except an investment of your time. You can use overheads if you prefer but they will not be provided and must be produced at your own expense. We encourage you to experiment with different media (computer, overheads, chalkboard) but the final choice is yours.

Note: If you use overheads or the LCD, make sure your text is large enough so that people can read it from the back of the room when it is projected on the screen. Consult with the TA if you have questions about making overheads or preparing computer-generated slides (but do not wait until 1 hr before your scheduled presentation!).

E. Grading

The presentation will be worth 40 points. You will be graded on content and organization of the presentation, presentation skills, contribution to group effort, and participation in class discussions (both as a presenter and as a member of the audience). Do not get uptight about this presentation -- just make sure that your group is organized and prepared, and you contribute equally to the presentation. Use it as an opportunity to learn and experiment!

VII. Novell Network

1. Student account (see ITS Help Desk in room 133 in the Administration building)

2. You must log in before you start working so that you can save your files to the H: drive or to your zip disk.

3. Log off when finished.

4. Check the ITS Help Desk web site (support.uidaho.edu) for location of student computer labs and list of available equipment.

VIII. On-line Class

1. Access the WLF448 home page by double-clicking on the Netscape icon in Windows. The University of Idaho homepage should come up as the default.

2. You can call up the Wlf448 homepage by typing www.cnr.uidaho.edu/population_ecology/ in the location box.

3.  Key pages in the WLF448 web:

The first 3 pages provide links to the rest of the web pages. The lecture and lab outlines are the pages you will use most often to navigate within the web. You can access these pages from the WLF448 homepage, or you can type their URL in the location box (e.g., http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/wlf448/2004Stuff/lectout2004.htm).

4. Printing pages of the web:

• Use the File pull-down menu and select Print Preview to view the pages (make note of the page numbers if you do not wish to print all pages).

• Use the File pull-down menu, select Print, and then "all" or type in the page numbers you want to print.

• You can use File - Page Setup to adjust your margins, page length, etc. of the printed page.

IX. Accessing and Running Class Software

1. Log in

2. Copy appropriate files from K: drive to H: drive

   USING WINDOWS:

   Open the "My Computer" icon. Click on the "Classes on 'Stc_class_server\Class' (K:)" icon. Scroll to and double click on WLF. Then double click on 448. All class software folders should be visible. To copy files, drag the desired icon(s) (for example "Arcmaps" folder) to your novell ([H:]) account or zip disk icon. You can also do these same operations in Windows Explorer which is available under Accessories under Programs under the Start button at the bottom left of your screen.

   Notes:

   (a) you should only need to copy files once for each lab (but you may want to delete all files in your subdirectory and try the copy procedure again if the program fails to run properly and you cannot figure out the problem).

   (b) Remember -- you cannot run the software from the K: drive. You must copy it to your personal directory/subdirectory on the H: drive or to your own zip disk.   

   (c) Keep your disk space organized -- use subdirectories and standard file-naming conventions (e.g., *.inp or *.inp for input files, *.out for output files, and *.txt for text files).

   (d) Backup your files on a regular basis -- especially your output and document files.

X. Insights/Thoughts on Population Ecology Lab

1. In most cases, we will spend 1 lab-day on each topic and corresponding estimation or simulation program. Obviously this is not enough time to become totally familiar with the programs, their strengths and weaknesses, and the many options associated with certain programs. However, you will gain a working understanding of the various programs and estimation techniques, and will know where to go for more detailed information. In addition, you will learn to be a "problem solver" when it comes to running and applying ecological software to your specific population-ecology question.

2. Caveat: "If all factors were known for a population, understanding its dynamics would be straightforward... Population analysis often requires modeling of some sort, especially to bridge gaps in knowledge. A model is some abstraction of a real system that enables us to think more clearly about the real one... Modeling logically precedes estimation, because modeling can tell us which variables are important. Conversely, the availability of useable estimates often dictates the kind of model that can be constructed, so modeling and estimation go hand in hand" (Johnson 1994:419-420). However, output from computer modeling and/or estimation is only as good as the data that goes into it. Careful consideration must be given to data collection, experimental design and/or sampling methodology, sample size, statistical and biological assumptions, knowledge gaps and uncertainty, validity of the estimates, and application of the results.

XI. Wildlife 448 Lab Policy on Academic Honesty and Cheating

 One of the purposes of Wildlife 448 is “To develop your quantitative skills and mastery of statistical methods, computer software, and simulation tools.”  A major portion of this goal will be accomplished by each student working independently through the lab exercises.  Therefore, we expect the Problem Set for each exercise to reflect your individual work.  Having said that, we fully expect and encourage you to share ideas and discuss problems with other students, as this may be the best way to stimulate or solidify your own ideas.

 There will be some labs for this class where the line between individual work and sharing ideas may be less clear.  The purpose of this policy is to help you make the distinction between acceptable collaboration and cheating.

 Unfortunately, a single definition is unlikely to include all situations of cheating and acceptable work.  However, we have listed some examples of likely situations that we will use to decide if a student has cheated.

 If you have any questions about whether something is cheating or not, our advice is don’t do it or ask your TA.

 Students who cheat on lab exercises will receive a 0 for that exercise.  Repeat offenders will receive a 0 for the Lab portion of their Wildlife 448 grade. 

In Class Exercise and Lab Assignment

Revised: 24 October 2004