Why do you think that it s important to give presentations while in university?

Presentations

Why do you think that it s important to give presentations while in university?

Presentation Project: Research Proposal In pairs (groups of 2), you will: 1. Choose a topic in ecology 2. Prepare outline assignments 3. Design & present your research proposal I want you to have fun and learn a lot not freak out! I know that it can be intimidating to design an experiment for the first time, so remember: Presentation counts as part of your 30% assignment grade or 3.75% of your total grade

Goals of the Research Proposal 1. Perform literature searches for background about a topic 2. Identify a research question that interests you 3. Design an experiment using concepts that you learn throughout the ecology lab

Presentation Rubric Outline (10%): two assignments during the semester to help you work on your proposal 1. Topic: choose a supervisor & topic; find scientific articles 2. Experimental Design: meet with TA to review your research question & design Slides (20%): style & how effectively your slides present the content Oral delivery (10%): how well you communicate your ideas Content (50%): Background, problem/question & methods/design Is the student knowledgeable about their topic? Questions/Comments (10%): participation during the questions/comments session

Presentation Format PowerPoint presentation 8-12 minutes for at least 10 slides 2-5 minute questions session Title Supervisor Background Question & Hypotheses Methods References Scientific Writing Statistics, Sampling, & reviewed in all labs Refer to presentation guidelines and rubric for details.

Outline: Topic 1. Topic in ecology & why you re interested 2. Supervisor 3. THREE citations of scientific articles related to your chosen topic At least one must be PRIMARY literature!

Outline: Experimental Design (TA Meeting) 1. Research question & any hypotheses 2. Overview of experimental design Study area Organism(s) or ecosystem(s) of interest Populations Sampling techniques & sample size Controls What to measure (variables) & how to measure it Any other relevant information

Example Presentation

The Effects of Rising Water on the Burrowing Activity of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in South Floridian Pine Rockland Habitats Proposal by: Sofia Name Villena redacted

Dr. Suzanne Koptur Plant/Animal interactions Habitat Restoration for Rare Species Habitat Fragmentation and Interactions Pine Rocklands Image Source: FIU Department of Biological Sciences (http://faculty.fiu.edu/~kopturs/)

Why Study This?

Pine Rockland Habitat Approximately 3% remains Dominated by grasses and Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) Occurs on elevated limestone ridge from Miami to the Everglades, and in the south of the Everglades, Florida Keys, and Big Cypress Preserve Williams DA et al. (2007) Biological Conservation

Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) Range: Southeast United States Threatened Dry, flat, subterranean habitats Keystone Species - Burrows loosen soil for plant growth - Return nutrients to soil - Provide shelter for many other species Diemer JE (1986) Herpetologica

Gap: Hurricane Irma- flooding Gopher tortoises are terrestrial (NOT aquatic like turtles) Effect of rising water levels on tortoises

Does water level affect the burrowing activity of Gopher Tortoises? Hypothesis: The water level in South Floridian Pine Rockland habitats will cause there to be a difference in the number of burrows Gopher Tortoises dig. Lower water levels = Tortoises dig more burrows Higher water levels = Tortoises will dig less burrows

Study Areas Part 1: Observational Big Cypress National Preserve Part 2: Experimental Zoo Miami Grounds (Richmond Tract) Image source: National Park Service Image source: Zoo Miami

Observational Methods Control: One year of observations (Wet + Dry Season) Belt Transect Sampling- 7 m across and variable length (# burrows) Also record: distance from water (m), width/depth (m), whether burrows were made below/above flood level, condition Obtain historical records of water level from the South Florida Water Management District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Obtain historical records of gopher tortoise burrowing activity and water levels in the Big Cypress Pine Rocklands - - compare McCoy ED et al. (2006) Biological Conservation

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Identification 4.5 m in length Shallower in Florida due to limestone Dirt mound ( apron ) Shaped like a dome Diemer JE (1986) Herpetologica

Experimental Methods One year Three enclosures of equal size constructed in Zoo Miami section of Pine Rocklands 3 adult female and 3 adult male tortoises per enclosure Dirt mounds of varying height After 6 months- water is pumped into each enclosure to rise the water level to a certain height

6 months 6 months low low low low Average high Count number of burrows for each treatment Assign water levels based on Everglades records + Observational Section Record height the burrows were found in relation to the water line

Possible Limitations Gopher Tortoises are threatened and rare Disturbances during Observational Section Burrowing activity may be gauged by other factors rather than number of burrows

References 1. Diemer JE. 1986. The Ecology and Management of the Gopher Tortoise in the Southeastern United States. Herpetologica 42(1): 125-133. 2. McCoy ED, Mushinsky HR, Lindzey J. 2006. Declines of the gopher tortoise on protected lands. Biological Conservation 128(1): 120-127. 3. Williams DA, Wang Y, Borchetta M, Gaines MS. 2007. Genetic diversity and spatial structure of a keystone species in fragmented pine rockland habitat. Biological Conservation 138: 256-268.

Questions?