QSCI 408 - Quantitative Analysis of the Environment II

Credits: 5
Variable Credit Course: No

Lecture Hours: 44
Lab Hours: 22
Worksite/Clinical Hours: 0
Other Hours (LIA/Internships): 0

Course Description: Building on concepts from QSCI 318, explore the statistical analysis of ecological data, including calculations of population metrics and other ecological parameters.

Prerequisite: Admission to BASEC or Dept. Chair permission.
Meets FQE Requirement: No
Integrative Experience Requirement: No

Student Learning Outcomes

Quantify how organisms use the environment including measures of spatial distribution, indices of dispersion, niche characteristics, and resource preferences.
Execute statistical tests including similarity coefficients, cluster analysis, and multivariate analyses.
Choose the appropriate statistical test to analyze a given set of ecological data.
Interpret the results of statistical analysis and determine whether analysis results support the initial hypothesis.

Course Contents

Abundance of an organism.
Spatial patterns and indices of dispersion.
Sample sizes and calculate statistical power.
Select appropriate sampling designs.
Experimental designs for sampling.
Similarity coefficients and cluster analysis.
Species diversity measures.
Niche measures and resource preferences.

Instructional Units: 5.5