Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Thinking Quantitatively Fear of mathematics Uncertainty & the art Sampling, experimental design, & analyses Presentation & communication

Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Thinking Quantitatively –Gaining reliable knowledge Logical Creative Organized –May not require statistics, calculus, or other advanced math »Graphical analyses, observations, information theory, etc.

Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Have no fear! –It’s all modeling (i.e., understanding relationships) Graphical Observational Calculus –Population ecology Most is simple math –+, -, x, 

Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Uncertainty must be recognized –Best guess Art or science? –No substitute for experience Statistics vs. biological reality –Do no be fooled! The object is to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees and enjoy what he understands--Aldo Leopold

Quantitative Wildlife Ecology 2 parts –Sampling & Experimental Design –Analyses Graphical Traditional “stats” Other techniques Which is –More important? –Least understood & taught?

Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Worthless without proper presentation –Technical writing & presentation –Recognize uncertainty/variability

Technical Writing What Why How

Technical Writing If no one knows or understands what you have done, what good is it! –Present it as clearly & simply as possible!

Technical Writing Know the reader/audience –Popular Magazine –Field & Stream –Semi-technical Trade journal –Rangelands –Technical Scientific journal –Journal of Wildlife Management

Technical Writing Every publication & scientific journal is different –Content & focus –Style –Format For this course: Journal of Wildlife Management –CBE Style Manual

Technical Writing In general –Clear, concise, & focused –Well-organized –Uniform units Do not change Metric –Active voice –Proper tense –Review it!

Technical Writing Typical sections –Title –Abstract –Introduction –Methods Study Area –Results –Discussion –Literature cited –Other

Technical Writing Title –Short –Indicative of manuscript content

Technical Writing Abstract –Summary Problem studied and/or hypothesis tested Pertinent methods Important results & conclusions Utility of results –Length restrictions 3%

Technical Writing Introduction –Literature review v. justification State the problem or issue Justify the importance of the problem & need for study State the study objectives –How you will “solve the problem or address the issue” –Most difficult section to write!

Technical Writing Study area –Separate from or part of Methods –Where did you do the study –What was it composed of?

Technical Writing Methods –Enough detail so your study can be repeated exactly Dates, sampling scheme, duration, experimental design, & analyses –Common methods can be cited –Relate to objectives Addressed Order

Technical Writing Results –Clear, simple, concise, & organized Follow objectives & methods –Often very “dry” –Sometimes combined with Discussion (not in JWM!)

Technical Writing Results –Do not explain analyses (Methods) or discuss results (Discussion) –Describe magnitude of biological effects as well as statistical results Do not say “The regression analyses found….” –Do not omit “negative” or “no differences” results

Technical Writing Results –Do not repeat information found in tables & figures (which are part of the Results section, but found at the end of the manuscript) –Use tables and/or figures only when they allow results to be presented more clearly & concisely than text

Technical Writing Results –Reference tables & figures in text (Table 1) not (see Table 1) or “Table 1 shows….” –Tables & figures must stand alone Include date & location

Technical Writing Discussion –“tell the story” – what did you learn! Interpret data Do data support hypotheses? Make comparisons to literature Do not repeat results Comment on only the most important results Limit speculation & presentation of new hypotheses Be synthetic & relate your findings to overall objectives & hypotheses –May end with a summary (usually not in JWM!)

Technical Writing Management Implications (JWM) –Explain issues important to management & conservation derived directly from your results Thing’s a manager can use & apply Do not restate Results or Discussion

Technical Writing Literature cited –Formats vary Primary literature* Internet Textbooks Popular articles Reports & gray literature Unpublished data Personal communications

Technical Writing Acknowledgments –Straight forward People Funding & support

Technical Writing Other –See guidelines

Data Presentation What How Why

Data Presentation Clear & concise Measure of uncertainty/variability or fit – ± SE –r 2

Data Presentation Always provide units –10 ± 2 deer/ha ( mean ± SE) Know the audience –Layperson, manager, scientist

Data Presentation Text –Presentation outline v. manuscript Tables & Figures –Stand alone –Presentation v. manuscript