Methods and Data Collection: “Patchy Prairi

Methods and Data Collection: “Patchy Prairies”
A population is a set of individuals of the same species living in a given region or habitat.
Ecologists employ a variety of methods to study the structure of populations, including
simulation models. Due to cost and time, scientists are not always able to perform long-term,
large-scale monitoring projects on animal and plant populations. However, they can perform
smaller field and laboratory experiments that inform our knowledge of the organism’s natural
history, behavior, and ecology. Based on our previous knowledge, scientists can create “rules”
for how a system should function. When the model runs, it simulates how the system functions.
By changing variables within these rules, scientists can predict how populations, communities,
ecosystems, and more may function under different conditions.
Example: If we were modelling whether an animal population in South Florida can recover after
a hurricane, we would want to include rules on how often hurricanes affect the area, the
population size before the hurricane, the survival probability of different age classes in that
animal population, what happens to the animal’s food source after the hurricane, what happens to
the animal’s reproduction (e.g., number of offspring), etc. The model would take this information
and simulate whether the animal population would decline, stay the same or increase.
In this week’s lab, you will use SimBio’s “Patchy Prairies” module to simulate an experiment in
population ecology. Your TA will guide you through basic concepts required to understand the
experiment and will help you collect your own individual data for the write-up. Takes notes
throughout the lab class on your experimental methods, which will help you complete this
week’s assignment that focuses on drafting the “Methods” section of your write-up.
Background: “Patchy Prairies”