User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Overall, my field research went fairly smoothly, and I was able to draw conclusions about insect abundance and insect species richness in three sites along an environmental gradient. The only major change I had to make to my experimental design was to use insect traps with stickier adhesive than originally used, as I was not confident that all insects crossing the trap were being effectively trapped there. Other than this minor complication, I believe I was able to design and implement an effective and scientifically sound experiment.
The project itself did, in fact, increase my appreciation for the complex, intricate, and sophisticated manner in which ecological studies are conducted. Being a BSc student with a major in cellular, molecular, and microbiology, I was admittedly unappreciative of the work that goes into ecology research and the importance of conducting these studies for conservation and preservation purposes.
