Fullerton Arboretum Lab

1. Fullerton Arboretum Lab Specifics on writing the Report.

2. Headings of Report • Introduction includes Planning (a) & Background • Materials and Methods includes Planning (b) • Results includes Data Collection, Data Processing and Presentation • Discussion includes Conclusion and Evaluation

3. TitleMake the title informative & specific. • Organize your title around important words in the study. • Does the title convey the major problem you set out to investigate? Vague: Ecological Studies of Some Northern Lakes Specific: Seasonal Algal Succession and Cultural Eutrophication in Three Temperate Lakes

4. Introduction (Planning (a)) • Define problem/research question (This is really like an Introduction.) • The opening paragraph of the research paper sets the stage for your scientific argument. b. It gives readers enough information to appreciate your objectives. (Background) c. A good “Introduction” hooks its readers, interesting them in the study and its potential significance.

5. Planning (a) cont. 2.Formulating a hypothesis • Example: Plants growing in limited light are expected to have a larger surface area than plants growing in areas that have an abundance of light. b. Hypothesis is specific and testable. • You will be collecting data that will test the hypothesis directly. • In the conclusion, the hypothesis will be accepted or rejected.

6. Other Hypothesis Examples: • Reptiles will decrease in overall size as latitude increases. • Mammals in warm climates have larger ears than mammals in cooler climates. 3. People who exercise 5 times a week are expected to weigh less than individuals who exercise 0 times a week Sidenote: weight and amount of exercise will be the data collected for example #3.

7. Planning (a) cont. • Selecting variables a. Independent variable: Different climatic zones b. Dependent variable: Size of the leaf Growth habit – leaf color, texture, plant height • Control: Indicator species from each climatic zone Side note: Some research does not have a control. The Arboretum Lab is an observational study not an actual experiment. No manipulations were performed. Therefore, there is no actual control.

8. Materials & Methods(Planning (b)) • Selecting appropriate materials • Describe your apparatus, tools, sampling devices, growth chambers, animal cages, or other equipment. If some materials were hard to obtain, specify where you purchased them. Example: Adult American chameleons (Anolis carolinensis), purchased from a local supplier, were used for all experiments. They were kept in individual terraria (30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm) for at least seven days prior to the start of the study. They were provided with a constant supply of water and were fed crickets, mealworms, and other insects every two days. All chameleons were exposed to 15 h of fluorescent light daily (0800-2300 h), and air temperatures were kept at 300C….

9. Planning (b) 1. Selecting appropriate materials (cont.) b. Specify the composition, source and quantities of chemical substances, growth media, test solutions, and so on. Example: Sodium citrate and sodium pyruvate were obtained from Sigma Chemical company, St. Louis, Missouri.

10. Planning (b) cont. 2. Designing a method for the control of variables • Describe the procedures in detail. Do not forget crucial details such as temperature conditions, pH, photoperiod, duration of observation periods, sampling dates, and arbitrary criteria used to make particular assessments or measurements. Example: Mycelia were prepared using the fixation and embedding procedures described by Khandjian and Turner (1971)…..

11. Planning (b) cont. • Designing a method for the control of variables (cont.) • For field studies, specify where and when the work was carried out. Describe features of the study site relevant to your research, and include maps, drawings, or photographs. Example: This study was conducted during June and July 1986 at Bog Pond, 3 km northwest of Barrow, West Virginia. The pond is permanent and contains floating and emergent vegetation (mostly sedges, rushes, and algae). It has an area of approximately 1.5 ha

12. Planning (b) cont. • Describe a method that allows for the collection of sufficient relevant data • Describe your procedures in a logical order, one that corresponds as closely as possible to the order in which you discuss your results. Example: Hormonal studies were performed on 23 adult male hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). All had been weaned at three weeks and housed with littermates of the same sex. They were reared under conditions of 22-240C and a photoperiod of 16 h, and fed Purina chow once daily.

13. Planning (b) Notes: • Use specific, informative language. Examples: a. Four randomly located pits wear dug at each forest site, and soil samples were collected from three depths at each pit: 0-5 cm, 6-11 cm, and 12-17 cm. b. Every nest was checked twice daily (at 0800 and 1600 h) for signs of predation on eggs or nestling. • Omit unnecessary information. Do not get carried away in your desire to include all possible details. The reader (me!) is not interested in superfluous details or asides.

14. RESULTS (Data Collection/Data Processing and Presentation) • Summarize and illustrate your findings. Example: Observations of 21 marked males showed that the number of matings per day varied among individuals. The number of matings per male ranged from 0-10 per day, with a mean of 6.5 (SD = 3.2). Males occupying territories with abundant emergent vegetation encountered more females and mated more frequently than males occupying sparsely vegetated areas (Fig. 3). One male, whose territory consisted entirely of open water, obtained no matings during the five days he was observed there.

15. RESULTS (Data Collection/Data Processing and Presentation) • Do not interpret the data or draw major conclusions. • Integrate quantitative data with the text. • If this section includes tables and figures, be sure to refer to each of these in the text. • Do not excessively repeat in the text what is already shown in a table or figure. On the other hand, don’t restrict yourself to passing comments (“Results are shown in Table 1”). Instead, point out the most important information or patterns and discuss these in the context of related data.