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LO10 Identify the research question and objective of studies in relation to an ecological principle Here is a paragraph of a study that looked at reproductive behavior of blue-footed boobies “According to life history theory, trade-offs between growth, somatic maintenance and reproduction will occur throughout an individual’s life, affecting its fitness. Longitudinal studies of diverse taxa have shown that reproductive success, physiological function and survival tend to vary across the lifespan in a distinctive inverted-U pattern. This suggests that fitness components first increase with age and experience, then decline progressively with senescence (old age). In addition, long-lived species are expected to maximise lifetime fitness by strategically adjusting their reproductive effort and related behaviours across their lifetime. However, there is division of opinion over whether members of long-lived species maximise lifetime fitness by increasing or reducing reproductive effort toward the end of the lifespan. (…) We investigated possible change across the lifespan in parental behaviour (by measuring nest defense across the life span of individuals). ” What is the most likely research question addressed by this study?  

ScLi13- Identify elements in results that provide information on how study variables behaved The following excerpt belongs to the study Anthropogenic Marsh Impoundments Alter Collective Tendency in Schooling Fish coauthored by Dr. Kevin Boswell  (professor in our bio department). “The objective of this study was to determine whether the collective tendency of schooling fish is modulated by anthropogenically introduced habitat complexity, prior to and in response to predator attack. To achieve this objective, we compared collective state of fish schools before and during predator attack, between an open salt marsh canal and a Water Control Structure (man-made). In those environments, we observed schools of free-ranging juvenile gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) […]The collective behavioural state of each fish school was quantified using six behavioural parameters […]: school area, group speed, angular velocity, orientational alignment (polarization), coherence of rotation (rotational order) (Attanasi et al. 2014), and correlation strength (degree of influence on neighbours) (Cavagna et al. 2008; Handegard et al. 2012). […] we predict that fish schools in the vicinity of a WCS will adjust their schooling tendencies and form less aligned shoals, exhibiting increases in area and decreases in polarization compared to the natural marsh environment.  ” Which of the following statements in the results section address the predictions mentioned above?  

ScLi-7 Identify hypotheses and objectives in scientific papers The following is a hypothetical study in STEM education. Current research in STEM education is focusing on strategies to improve student engagement and learning outcomes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. While traditional teaching methods have relied heavily on lectures and standardized testing, recent studies highlight the effectiveness of active learning, project-based learning, and the integration of technology in the classroom. However, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these innovative teaching methods impact different student demographics, including underrepresented minorities and women in STEM fields. Furthermore, the long-term effects of these educational strategies on students’ career choices and success in STEM careers are not well understood. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing more inclusive and effective STEM education practices. What is the most likely hypothesis of the study? [1] What is the most likely objective of the study? [2]

ScLi10- Identify study variables in research articles A study tested if acorn ants that are raised in different temperatures are more tolerant to extreme heat or cold. Here is an excerpt of the methods: “After collection from the field, ant colonies were allowed to acclimate to laboratory conditions (~25 °C, an intermediate temperature between our two temperature treatments) for approximately 24 h prior to being randomly assigned to one of two temperature treatments (Percival growth chambers, 36-VL). We used a simple diurnal fluctuation in temperature for both our warm and cool rearing treatments. The warm treatment cycled between 25 (night) and 30 (day) °C; the cool treatment cycled between 20 (night) and 25 (day) °C. These temperature treatments represent a non-stressful range for this species (Diamond et al., 2013), and correspond with typical warm-day conditions in urban and rural habitats, respectively, in our study area; none of these temperature treatments lie outside the range of temperatures experienced by acorn ants at our study sites (Fig. 1). […] Photoperiod in each treatment was 14:10 L:D. Colonies were maintained in the temperature treatments for an average of 65.48 days (± 1SD 8.11). […] We used a dynamic temperature ramping protocol to assess the critical thermal maximum and minimum (CTmax and CTmin), each defined as the loss of muscular coordination, which yields an ecologically relevant tolerance limit (Lutterschmidt & Hutchison, 1997).  ” (modified from Harris, B. A., Stevens, D. R., & Mathis, K. A. (2024). The effect of urbanization and temperature on thermal tolerance, foraging performance, and competition in cavity‐dwelling ants. Ecology and Evolution, 14(2), e10923.) Match the following variables with the type of variable they are:

ScLi-2 Identify research and review articles What kind of article is this? Click here to open link (select FIU as your institution and log in with your FIU credentials) Click here to download PDF

ScLi6- Identify research questions/gaps addressed by research papers The following paragraph represents a hypothetical study in dogs. “In recent years, there has been growing interest in understanding the various personality traits exhibited by dogs and how these traits influence their behavior and interactions with humans. However, despite numerous studies, there is still a significant gap in knowledge regarding the genetic basis of these personality traits and how they may differ across breeds. While some research has suggested that certain breeds are predisposed to specific personality characteristics, the underlying genetic factors remain largely unexplored. This gap in knowledge hinders our ability to fully comprehend the behavioral diversity among dog breeds and the potential for selective breeding to enhance desirable traits.” Based on the gap described in the case study paragraph, which of the following research questions would the paper most likely address?    

ScLi14- Interpret graphs, charts and statistics in results of research studies A study that wanted to determine if the presence of predators affected the behavior of mud crabs did the following: “We performed an experiment to assess the proportion of time individual mud crabs spend active (looking for mussels) versus hiding in refuge in the presence of predator odour cues from either a single toadfish, a single blue crab or control conditions with no predator cue.”   Figure 1. Proportion of time mud crabs, Panopeus herbstii, spent in refuge when exposed to different predator odour cues (blue crab Callinectes sapidus, toadfish Opsanus tau, and control of no cue; n = 100). Boxes indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles, whiskers denote 1.5×interquartile range and the median is shown by the horizontal line within each box.  Different letters in the boxes indicate that each treatment is significantly different from the rest.   Which of the following statements are true?  

ScLi12- Identify the elements in the methods that allow researchers answer their research question A real study aimed to test whether the pattern of resource distribution in an environment affected the number of individuals of a certain species that can be maintained by that environment. Researchers used single-strain populations of budding yeast (microorganism that you use to raise dough) in plates with the amino acid tryptophan (Trp) as the exploited, renewable resource. Researchers set plates with  Trp in order to manipulate the supply of the limiting resource.  96 plates were tested. Each plate was divided in 12 sections. Each plate had either a heterogeneous or homogeneous distribution of resources (Trp). A heterogeneous environment was designed by alternating high and low Trp concentrations. A homogeneous environment was designed as having a uniform amount of Trp in all 12 sections. Yeast abundance in each well was quantified every 24 h.

ScLi4- Acknowledge the importance of Scientific communication A friend found this multivitamins site, claiming amazing effects for your health.   Tally multivitamins As a scientist, what can you tell them?

ScLi16- Identify the purpose of discussions in scientific articles The following is an excerpt of the study Herbivore effects increase with latitude across the extent of a foundational seagrass, whose first author is Dr. Justin Campbell (a professor in our bio department). The study addressed the effect of increased consumption of sea grasses by herbivorous fish on seagrass health at different latitudes. Researchers addressed their objective by simulating herbivory by cutting the grass in different amounts.  This is part of a paragraph in their discussion: “Our network also reveals that low-latitude meadows are generally more resilient to simulated grazing (mostly severe overgrazing) and that this differential response is driven by increased insolation which promotes plant carbohydrate storage (Fig. 4 and Supplementary Table 9). Thus, across low latitudes, many meadows can utilize ample reserves to replace leaf biomass and consequently display minor shifts in leaf productivity in response to grazing.” Which of the following are functions of discussions that are NOT being addressed in the paragraph?