SDG Detail

BIO 46: Introduction to Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Project description

The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of how to conduct biological research, using topics in Ecology as practical examples. This includes the complete scientific process: assessing background literature, generating testable hypotheses, learning techniques for data collection, analyzing data using appropriate statistical methods, and writing and sharing results. To build these skills, this course focuses on the microorganisms associated with lichen epiphytes and their interactions with air pollution and other environmental variables. Students, working in teams, develop novel research hypotheses and execute the necessary experiments and measurements to test these hypotheses. In addition, students will learn how to manipulate, visualize, and analyze data in the statistical programming language R. The capstone of the course is a research paper in the style of a peer-reviewed journal article, as well as an educational video designed for a general audience that communicates research findings. The Tuesday lecture session will generally meet for only about 60-70 minutes.