User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Hypothesis:
“The level of predator activity in an area does not affect the activity of a mole colony in the same area.”
Field Data Collection Activity:
Field data related to mole colonies and predators continues as I refine the process by which to conduct the collection. Originally I had intended on selecting a set mole colony inside of the Western Ukraine Research Area (WURA). However, the grid layout and detailed counts became unwieldy as I noted that the feral dogs would intrude during the longer time taken to gather data.
I altered my plan by researching point counts and how to conduct them in order to capture accurate information. Included in this process I laid out a routine path along which I will be conducting my data gathering. This consistency will improve the accuracy of my data.
Already I have tested this out and am using 10 replicates along a sampling route in the WURA. The intention is to do this for the next ten days in order to get the magnitude of data needed for a statistically relevant study. There will be ten repeats of the sampling process giving us 100 samples to work with.
Initial survey results show that there may be a correlation between predator activity and prey (mole) activity, but more data is required as ‘correlation does not imply causation’, especially in such a small sample count. It would be easy to jump to a biased conclusion before the data is completed.
Another alteration to my plan, is to identify the mole colonies as individual colonies rather than the zone identifications. Some colonies are in the same zones, so I will be labeling them as their own independent colony moving forward.
I am excited to continue the research project as I feel I now have an effective sampling method and there is a great deal of confidence that it will work well for what I need.
