Post 9: Field Research Reflection

Prior to physically conducting my field research, I actually underestimated how tough it is to put study designs into actions. I assumed that everything would go as planned, and it would not be challenging, but I was proven wrong. This experience has enlightened me on how challenging it is to come up with a hypothesis and design an experiment in order to determine how accurate the hypothesis is. Although it took more time than I expected, I did not have much issues implementing my design. Prior to beginning my data collection, I thought carefully about the sampling strategy and method that would best suit my objective, and then I made sure that I was confortable actually carrying out the method. I had to familiarize myself with the study sites, and the numerous species found at each study site. One challenge that I faced was interpreting and making sense of my results. I found this challenging because I know that some of the methods that I used were somewhat subjective, therefore adding some bias to the results, and leaving me unsure of whether or not my results were appropriate/acceptable.

Upon completion of my study, if I were to make one change, it would be to collect data throughout different seasons. This will allow for a more accurate depiction of how species distribution is actually impacted by climate. Engaging in the practice of ecology has definitely altered my appreciation for how ecological theory is developed. Unlike other ecology courses that I have taken, this course really helped me understand the implementation of research projects and how it is conducted. I was able to learn so much information and retain that information as this final project allowed me to apply the skills that I learned throughout the course. After taking this course, I now realize how difficult it is to design and actually conduct a study. I definitely appreciate the work that individuals do in this field, as I felt it was challenging even to conduct a minor experiment on my own.