ecology research proposal example

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1.4: Research Proposals

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Learning Objectives

Perform biodiversity research through making and translating your observations of the natural world into research questions, hypotheses, and experimental design that are grounded in scientific literature.
Communicate the research process to your peers in a clear, effective, and engaging manner.

Written Proposal

Writing about research is a primary method scientists use to communicate their work. Thus, this course will involve developing a written research proposal. We will use several drafts to refine the research proposal. The first draft can utilize the template available in Appendix 6. Subsequent drafts should become more refined and start to take the format of a scientific paper. The proposal should include an introductory section providing background on the topic of interest, drawing from several primary research articles. This section also develops the argument for why the research question is worth studying. The research question and hypothesis should also be included in the introduction.

The second section should include the proposed methodology. Describe how the hypothesis will be tested. It should outline the experiments and what will be needed to perform them. Ideas can be supported by referring to previously published research. The third section will address anticipated results. Consider the expected findings and the implications of those findings for the original research question and hypothesis. Consider what it would mean if the results turned out a different way. Finally, be sure to include both in-text citations and a full reference list at the end. The proposal should have good narrative flow and be proofread for proper spelling and grammar. See the rubric in the Appendix 3 for evaluation guidelines.

Oral Presentation

Scientists also frequently share their research findings via presentations, such as at meetings with other scientists. Developing an oral presentation of the research proposal provides an opportunity to practice communicating science to our peers. The presentation should be ~10 minutes and delivered via a slideshow. The presentation should include the same content as the written portion, but the distinction here the audience will be engaged in a different way. The best presentations tell a good story, so think about how to translate the proposal into a story – typically start with background information so the audience members have some understanding of the context. Then use the background information strategically to build up to the identified research gap and the corresponding research question. The question then leads naturally into the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested. The final part of the presentation will be the experimental plan – how will the hypothesis be tested? Try to envision all possible outcomes from the experiment and how that will support or refute the hypothesis and inform on the interpretation of the results.

There will be opportunities for questions from peers at the end. It is important to try to ask questions at the end of presentations in order to practice giving this kind of feedback. This is a very common way in which scientists provide feedback to each other on their work. Attending departmental seminars or conferences will enable witnessing this first hand. See the rubric in the Appendix 3 for evaluation guidelines.

Proposal Workshop I

Proposing research ideas is a key element of working in the biodiversity science field. Thus this first workshop will be focused on sharing and expanding upon initial ideas for a research proposal. It will take a lab meeting format with a round table discussion where each student has the opportunity to share their research proposal ideas. Peers will then ask follow-up questions to help support idea development. Incidentally, this also serves as an opportunity to practice communicating science to peers. It takes practice to clearly articulate ideas. Following the workshop, begin exploring some literature related to the topic of interest and start putting ideas down on paper – they will not be polished yet, but it will help to develop the initial draft of the research proposal. See the Appendix 6 for a proposal first draft template.

Proposal Workshop II

This workshop will continue to develop the research question, hypothesis, and experimental design. We will discuss developing ideas in pairs with both the course instructor and classmates. We will work to develop ideas into excellent proposal material by digging into the following questions.

Research Question

What is your research question?
Is your question clearly stated and focused? If not, how might you tailor it?
Why are you interested in this question? What makes you curious about it? What have you learned from previous studies that lead you to want to ask this question?

Hypotheses/predictions

What are your hypotheses/predictions?
Are they stated clearly? If not, what needs to be adjusted?
Are they aligned with the question you are asking?
Why are you interested in this hypothesis?

Experimental Plan

What is your experimental plan?
Does the design fit with your hypothesis?
Are there things that still need to be considered? If so, what are they?

Proposal Workshop III

This workshop is an opportunity to polish. Use this time to solicit final feedback from peers, test out design ideas for the final presentation, or practice delivering the presentation in front of an audience.

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Ecology Research Proposals Samples For Students

21 samples of this type

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Research Objectives Research Proposals Examples

Introduction.

Placing eco-labels on the consumer products is thought to have immense positive effects on the consumer behavior. In particular, some studies strongly suggest that when the consumers become aware about the product origins and the method used in merchandising, their consumer choices become more ecologically and environmentally friendly. The purpose of the future is to investigate whether these assumptions are validated, or they are merely the results of unfounded marketing speculations.

B. Background Research Proposal

Good research proposal on global warming and climate change, environmental impact of a restaurant research proposal example, an assignment submitted by, example of research proposal on brazil eco tourism, assignment one, good example of managing environmental issues research proposal.

{Author Name [first-name middle-name-initials last-name]} {Institution Affiliation [name of Author’s institute]}

Prevention Research Proposal Sample

Invasion of exotic channa argus in usa and its, free research proposal about community college and cafeterias, good research proposal about sustainable / organic farming methods, the snow depth and its effect on caribou's behavior in the arctic region research proposals example, introduction, existing commercial buildings research proposal examples.

This paper presents a proposal to study the level of energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings in Norway. It contains a backgroung, hypothesis, methodology, and expected conclusions.

Energy Efficiency in Existing Commercial Buildings

Sample research proposal on environmental impact from sea transport from a life cycle perspective, free research proposal about urban water quality, sample research proposal on biodynamic farming, free the influence of deforestation on malaria outbreak research proposal example, climate change: forestation research proposal examples.

Econometric investigation of climate change on forestation and its impact on international timber supply and demand (i.e. pricing) shows competitive advantage in wood-based biofuels, as well as potential positive effects on temperature and growth into the future (Chimeli et al. 2011). Although definitive arguments about the atmospheric relationship between GHG emissions, climate change and forestation are few, the potential for an ecological equilibrium relevant to an economic one is found in market relations.

Research Proposal On Briefing Notes: How Should Ontario Protest The Barn Owl

Reevaluation of environmental impact assessment in ghana - a gap analysis research proposal sample.

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Tropical Resources Institute

Sample proposal 1, belowground ecosystem function in mantled howler monkey ( alouatta palliata ) latrines, panama, 2012.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

I request funding from the Tropical Resources Institute to study the functional significance of the belowground microbial communities within howler monkey ( Alouatta palliata ) latrines. My research will address the following questions:

(1) Do latrine soils exhibit altered belowground ecosystem function (e.g. mineralization, decomposition) relative to surrounding soils?

(2) Is microbial community composition in latrine soils taxonomically distinct from surrounding soils?

This project will serve as a pilot study for my dissertation research, which will address the localized effects of arboreal mammals on forest regeneration processes. Determining the functional significance (Q1) and taxonomic composition (Q2) of the belowground microbial community will lay the foundation for future projects that will focus on the effects of belowground activity on the seed competition.

Literature Review

In forest regeneration models, dispersal of seeds is often assumed to be even across the landscape or decrease with distance from the parent tree. In neotropical forests, however, up to 90% of tree species produce fruit and thus depend on vertebrates, primarily primates, to distribute seeds across the landscape in order to reproduce (Schupp et al. 2002). As a result, seed dispersal patterns are influenced by the behavioral ecology of the dispersers, including movement, resource selection and use, and defecation habits (Julliot 1997, Russo and Augsberger 2006, Lazo et al. 2010).

Howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata ) alone may distribute up to 56 kg/ha of feces (Hanksi and Cambefort 1991). Because Alouatta tend to defecate as a group at the end of the day and upon arousal in the morning, the majority of this organic material is concentrated below sleeping sites (Julliot 1997, Neves et al. 2009, Hopkins 2010). Recent research on these group defecation sites (latrines) has shown that they exhibit greater diversity and density of seeds than surrounding soils, as well as increased rates of germination, seedling success, and sapling growth (Pouvelle et al 2009, Feeley and Terborgh 2005, Neves et al. 2009, Bravo 2011).

In addition to the distinct growth patterns in aboveground plant communities, latrine sites are also characterized by 50-150% greater soil respiration rates, indicating a more active microbial community. Soil microbial communities are responsible for a range of ecosystem functions, including mineralization of nutrients, carbon sequestration, litter decomposition, nutrient retention, and other processes that affect the physical properties of the soil. Recent research indicates that aboveground processes that influence belowground community composition andactivity (e.g. waste deposition, litterfall) can in turn affect the ecosystem functions that this community performs (Strickland 2009, Hawlena et al. upubl. data). These factors combined suggest that the emergent microbial communities at latrine sites may perform a distinct functional role in localized forest regeneration processes.

Field Site Selection and Justification

I will conduct this research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama. BCI is an ideal location for this project because the ranging behavior of several A. palliata is well known from previous research (e.g. Milton 1982, Hopkins 2010). Furthermore, this project will add a belowground perspective to ongoing research on seed dispersal and competition, seedling success, and sapling growth.

Methodology

This pilot study will begin with a field survey of resident Alouatta social groups. Through focal observations of uncollared animals, I will identify up to three latrine sites from which I will collect soil samples. For each latrine site I will identify an analogous non-latrine site to use as a control. Non-latrine sites will be similar in crown cover, plant growth, slope, soil type, light exposure, and litter composition. I will collect three 1L soil samples from each latrine and non- latrine site. I will use half of each sample for characterization of physical soil properties, and the remaining half for microbial community characterization.

Physical Soil Properties: I will characterize physical soil properties of latrine and non-latrine soils in order to get a baseline of nutrient content, pH, and soil respiration. I will dry and weigh each soil sample and measure soil nutrient content (N, C:N ratio) and pH of each sample using a CNH analyzer as described by Feeley and Terborgh (2005). Phosphorus content will be tested using an Olsen P test (Olsen et al. 1954). I will measure soil respiration of individual soil samples using procedures outlined by Neves et al. (2009), which will serve as a proxy for microbial activity.

Microbial Community Characterization: I will test the functional significance of microbial communities in latrine soils using the suite of tests outlined by Frey et al. (2004). I will divide the field samples into microcosm containers in order to test for properties relevant to ecosystem functioning, including active bacterial and fungal biomass, enzyme activity, microbial carbon sequestration, and mineralization. In order to determine taxonomic composition of the microbial communities, I will extract, amplify, and sequence DNA using a PowerSoil DNA Isolation kit (MoBio Laboratories, Carlsbad, CA) as outlined by Reed and Martiny (2007).

Personal Qualifications and Research Collaborations

I will conduct field sampling for this project following two consecutive seasons of field experience at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. All sampling will be within the regulations outlined by the STRI Tropical Soils Laboratory. Physical soil characterization and ecosystem function testing will be conducted in collaboration with the Bradford Lab at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. I will send samples away for DNA extractions and sequencing at the Smithsonian Genetics Program at the National Museum of Natural History.

RESEARCH SCHEDULE

Field work will take place during the 2012-2013 tropical dry season (November – April) in order to maximize observational periods and guarantee access to field sites.

December 2012

20 - Arrive in Panama
21-31 - STRI Field Training (Panama City, BCI)

January 2013

1-15 - Focal Observations, Field Site Identification (BCI)
15-22 - Field Site Identification (BCI) 23-30 Soil Collection and Storage (BCI)

February 2013

1-13 - Processing of Soil Samples (Panama City)
14-16 - Soil Processing, Packaging, and Shipping
20 - Return to Yale
1-25 - Physical Properties, Ecosystem Function Testing (Bradford Lab, Yale)
1-31 - DNA Analysis – Samples Sent Away (Genetics Program, Smithsonian)
1-30 - Data Analysis and Writing

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Detailed Description of the Experiment: Additional Documents (Archived Below or Links to Separate Appendicies)

Ecology Lab Course Syllabus (Appendix1_syllabus_fall2003.doc, 36k)
Week Prior to "Start": Detailed Methods for Line Transect Sampling
Week 2: Quantifying Observations
Week 4: Library Research Strategies (Appendix2_literature_searches.ppt, 40k)
Week 5: Guidelines for Research Proposals
Week 5: Example Research Proposal (Appendix3_proposal_example.doc, 156kb)
Week 6: Guidelines for Annotated Bibliographies
Week 9: Oral Presentation Midpoint Assessment Form
Week 11: Guidelines for Peer Reviews of Research Proposals
Week 12: Oral Presentation Final Assessment Form
Week 13: Research Proposal Final Assessment Form

___________________________________________________________________________

Week 1: Methods for Line Transect Sampling All science starts with people looking at the world, whether it be the physical world or the world of living organisms. We observe patterns or phenomena in the world and we want to know why these things happen. What causes these patterns? Why are plants green? Why does one field have a higher number of species than another field? Why do so many different species of plants and animals grow in tropical areas? This first plant ecology lab has to do with the process of making observations and then developing hypotheses that may explain the observations made. The goals of this lab are to make some detailed observations of the distribution of some plants on the Mary Washington Campus. We will use one of many field sampling methods to make observations over an obvious change in plant types, quantify the plant distributions, and develop a list of hypotheses about why we think these plants change as they do over this distance. The goals of today's lab are:

Observe part of the diversity of plants on campus,
Use the line transect sampling method,
Sample and quantify the plant cover over a three (3) meter distance,
Make observations of the physical environment over the same 3 meter distance,
Write down hypotheses about the causes of any observed changes in plant cover over the 3 meter distance.

We will go to a woodlot near Jepson Hall for this lab. I will split the lab up into groups of 3 - 4 students and assign each group to an area of study. [Caution: Poison ivy is very common in this wood lot. I have attempted to choose places that do not have poison ivy. But, please be on the look out for poison ivy that I did not see.] Materials:

2 stakes or wire flags per group * 4 groups = 10 stakes,
3.2 meters of string per group * 4 groups = 16 meters string,
1 meter stick or tape measure per group * 4 groups,
Record tables in lab notes,
Place two stakes three (3) meters from each other so that one is in the lawn and the other is in the forest edge,
Attach a length of string to the top of each of the stakes,
Make all observations looking straight down on the string (i.e. the vertical plane of the string.),
Note all the species of plants that intersect the vertical plane of the string,
Someone will act as temporary herbarium for the rough identification of plants. The plants that each group observes will be named consistently across all class groups. When you find a new (i.e. previously unnamed) plant, take a leaf to the herbarium for identification. The herbarium technician will match this plant material to an existing specimen or give the plant material a new name and catalogue the plant,
In 0.5 meter sections, estimate the percentage of the length of string intersected by each of the observed species,
Record this percentage. Note that the total percentage cover, for this line transect method, can be greater than 100 % because there may be multiple layers of plant canopy,
Answer the questions that follow the data sheet,
List as many hypotheses as possible that may explain any changes you quantified in this sample. Use your imagination and think broadly about the forces that may be acting here. I would also stress that open mindedness is a key to good science at this point in the process. If you think you know the right answer, this bias may lead you into bad science.

Data Analysis: A. Organize your observations: 1. Did you find any of your species live in all five sections of your line transect? Name them. 2. Did you find any of your species did not live in all five sections of your transect? Name them. 3. Which species had the greatest % cover in each of the sections? Did the species with the majority % cover change over the five sections of your line transect? Name them. 4. Did the total % cover change over the five sections? How did it change? 5. What physical characteristics would you measure across this transect that may correlate with species composition changes? B. List the falsifiable hypotheses that may explain any changes in species composition changes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Week 2: Quantifying Observations Youve made some initial observations at our research plots at Belmont. You also have some background about the prairie grassland developed by Beate Jensen and information about how our research plots have been treated. Different questions may be popping into your head at this point and that is good. Over the next few weeks youll be clarifying these questions / hypotheses. You will also need to collect data about the current distributions and abundances of plants in our research plots. Objectives for today's lab

Share, clarify, and expand qualitative observations,
Record all observations,
Collect data on plant distributions and abundances, using line transects.

Decisions to Make:

What variables should we collect?
How do we sample common species?
How do we sample rare species?
How intensively do we sample?
What variables can you create from the data you collect?
How do we identify different samples across the whole class?
What physical / abiotic variables are you interested in measuring here?

*** Some proposal requirements *** Each proposal must address at least 4 hypotheses / questions. Each proposal must include at least 2 independent variables in the proposed research. Only one of the independent variables can be an abiotic factor, but one of the 2 independent variables does not have to be an abiotic factor.

Week 5: Guidelines for Research Proposals MWC Plant Ecology, Fall 2003: PROJECT PROPOSALS FOR RESEARCH AT BELMONT ESTATES Principle investigator: Your name Co-investigators: Names of others in group Address: Email: [All text not marked is Times New Roman, 12 pt.] [Use single spacing] [Leave an extra space after the end of each paragraph] [Leave a space after each heading] PROJECT TITLE: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] {Give it a descriptive name} BACKGROUND AND NEED: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] The research that others have done. This section is where you provide the literature review of the topics related to your hypotheses. This should be a concise, but thorough coverage of the background information that any reader needs to understand the rest of the proposal. It is like an Introduction of a scientific paper. But, it should go further to show how this research would fit into the work that's already been done in this area of research. The information covered in this section should be broad and conceptual. If your hypotheses are about herbivory and the defensive chemicals that plants produce in response to these, then provide a review of the literature related to these concepts. As you address "Need," think about the issues that may be connected to the results of this research. Could there be some practical application of this research and this is one step toward that application? Why do you believe we need to do this kind of research? You might wish to take some cues from the literature that you have read for this literature review. What have other researchers said about the need, significance, and importance of this general area of research? OBJECTIVE: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] The research that you plan to do. This section is a extended statement about what you wish to achieve through doing the proposed research. This is a chance to state broadly what you will do and hope to accomplish by doing this research. This section is the place to state and discuss broad hypotheses using conceptual variables. An example will make clearer the difference between conceptual variables and the independent and dependent variables in your experimental hypotheses in the next section. Let's say your experiments will investigate the effects of competition on the abundance of a rarer plant found in the garden at Belmont. In the "Objective" section of your proposal you might state a conceptual hypothesis as "Plant X is rare in this vegetation plot because it is a poor competitor for nutrients and is outcompeted by other species of plants." Competition is a conceptual variable because it can not be directly measured in the experiment you will propose. Objectives must develop the connections among your variables. This means that your variables must fit into some larger picture and you need to paint this picture for the reader. For example, let's say 2 of your conceptual hypotheses are 1) Species diversity will be higher in sunny areas than in shaded areas and 2) Species diversity will be higher in soils with more available water. Again, your broad conceptual interests are with interspecific competition, but here you are looking at competition and its impact on the diversity. Your motivation for investigating light levels and soil moisture at the same time may be to sort out which of these variables is the most important factor in determining species diversity in a plot. You would need to take some time to describe the potential relationships between light levels and diversity and between soil moisture and diversity. This section should be used to place your research in perspective relative to other research that has been done. Is it a repetition of other research that has not been well researched yet? Is it new research that has never been done? Is it a practical application (repeat) of past research using a species or species that are of some special interest? EXPECTED RESULTS AND BENEFITS: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] This section is where you go through your hypotheses / questions one by one. State the expected results of the tests of your hypotheses. Be sure to relate these testable hypotheses back to the conceptual statements you made in the previous section. This section would be an appropriate place to include the observations and background data that you've collected. This is the information that motivated your hypotheses in the first place Each proposal must address at least 4 hypotheses / questions. Each proposal must include at least 2 independent variables in the proposed research. Only one of the 2 independent variables can be an abiotic factor. This means that your proposed research must include at least 1 biotic factor as an independent variable. State what you believe will be the benefits of the outcome of your research. These benefits are more specific than the "Need" in the first section. What knowledge will we have gained by doing this research and how can this knowledge be used? How will you and others benefit from these results. APPROACH: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] You must describe your experimental designs completely in this section. There must be proposed experiments for each of your hypotheses. I would like you to propose experiments that can be done on the plot of land at Belmont, but this is not a requirement. The requirements for your experiments are:

Some of the proposed experiments must be controlled experiments in the field,
At least one of your experiments must be an experiment that will answer all or part of a particular hypothesis, and be a laboratory or greenhouse experiment. Picture this as an experiment similar to a field experiment, but with more control OR an experiment that is not practical to do in the field,
Observational experiments can be proposed. Let's say you hypothesize that a particular rare plant becomes less abundant in drier soils. An observational experiment would be to sample (count) different patches of this plant, measure the soil moisture at each of these patches, and look for correlations between these measures.

LOCATION: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] Describe where you will do the research you are proposing. REFERENCES: [Small Caps, Bold, 12 pt.] Use the style and formatting shown in my sample proposal. For unusual reference types, keep in mind that the reader MUST have enough information to re-find that reference from your proposal references. If the reference type is not represented in my examples, ask me. Note: It is difficult to say where your descriptions of the Belmont plots will fit. It may be appropriate to place this in different sections of the proposal.

Week 6: Guidelines for Annotated Bibliographies: An annotated bibliography is a list of bibliographic references with a description of the information you found in the reference. The kind of information you include in the annotation will depend on your needs and purpose for compiling the bibliography. Bibliographic style (i.e. form and format) differs greatly from source to source and journal to journal. There is some general rhyme and reason to these styles, but the best way to figure out how to format your references, in a particular bibliography, is to follow an example exactly. I would say that one generality for bibliographic style is to make the form and format of each type of reference, within an individual bibliography, exactly the same. If you keep your own bibliographies, find a style you like or will be forced to use often and stick to it. If you must prepare a bibliography for someone else, get examples from them and follow the form exactly. The references should be arranged in alphabetical order, by the first word in the reference. Most references will have the last name of the first author as the first word in the reference. As stated above, the text you write to accompany each reference will vary based upon your needs. For our purposes, this text should include several things.

Give some information about where the authors are from. Is this a university / college researcher? Is this an employee of a branch of the government? Is it an unknown, unreviewed author from the internet?
Describe the questions the authors of the research were answering, as they apply to your own research. You don't need to talk about aspects of their research that do not apply to your research.
Describe the results and conclusions that are pertinent to your research.
An annotation differs from an abstract by adding information about the quality and usefulness of each reference. One of the indications of appropriateness of the research may be the institution for which the researchers work. Website information is often of questionable merit and the "grey literature" on the web must be evaluated carefully. You should also include in each annotation how this research is related to, illuminates, or informs the topic of your research. You might also indicate the general usefulness of each reference. Describe how useful this reference was for your research and why it was or was not useful. If any of the methods, results, or conclusions seem biased or questionable, it is appropriate to voice this kind of evaluation in the annotation.

Bibliography style:

Week 9: Oral Presentation Midpoint Assessment Form:

Week 11: Guidelines for Peer Reviews of Research Proposals: The purpose of this peer review is to provide the writer with some solid, positive feedback on the current state of their proposal. This will provide some guidelines for what you might look for in these papers at this time. Trust your instincts while reading / reviewing papers. If something does not make sense, it is usually a writing problem and not a reading problem. Be positive and be specific. In addition, ask and answer the following questions:

Always remember and never forget. Any writing should be clear and understandable without interpretation from the writer. So, when a reviewer finds something missing or unclear and the writer says, Oh, that is what I meant in the section Z when I said W, the writer needs to make some changes. Never assume that the reader simply misunderstood your perfect writing.

Writing an Ecological Research Proposal

LDDL-EcologyResearchProposal.doc

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Thesis proposal example 2

Senior Honors Thesis Research Proposal

Albert B. Ulrich III Thesis Advisor: Dr. Wayne Leibel 11 September 1998

Introduction:

Neotropical fish of the family Cichlidae are a widespread and diverse group of freshwater fish which, through adaptive radiation, have exploited various niches in freshwater ecosystems. One such evolutionary adaptation employed by numerous taxa is miniaturization, an evolutionary process in which a large ancestral form becomes reduced in size to exploit alternative niches. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the effects of miniaturization on amphibians (Hanken 1983), but although miniaturization has been found to occur in 85 species of freshwater South American fish, little has been done to investigate the effects which miniaturization imposes on the anatomy of the fish (Hanken and Wake 1993).

Background:

Evolution is the process by which species adapt to environmental stresses over time. Nature imposes various selective pressures on ecosystems causing adaptive radiation, where species expand and fill new niches. One such adaptation for a new niche is miniaturization. Miniaturization can be defined as “the evolution of extremely small adult body size within a lineage” (Hanken and Wake 1993). Miniaturization is observed in a variety of taxa, and evolutionary size decreases are observed in mammals and higher vertebrates, but it is more common and more pronounced in reptiles, amphibians and fish (Hanken and Wake 1993). Miniaturization evolved as a specialization which allowed the organisms to avoid selective pressures and occupy a new niche. Miniaturization as a concept is dependent on the phylogenetic assumption that the organism evolved from a larger predecessor. Over time, the miniature organism had to adapt to the new conditions as a tiny species. All of the same basic needs had to be met, but with a smaller body.

In miniature species there is a critical relationship between structure of the body and body size, and frequently this downsizing results in structural and functional changes within the animal (Harrison 1996). Within the concept of miniaturization is the assumption that the species evolved from a larger progenitor. It is necessary then to explore the effects of the miniaturization process. “Miniaturization involves not only small body size per se, but also the consequent and often dramatic effects of extreme size reduction on anatomy, physiology, ecology, life history, and behavior” (Hanken and Wake 1993).

Hanken and Wake 1993 found that the adult skulls of the salamander Thorius were lacking several bones, others were highly underdeveloped, and many species within the genus were toothless. Several invertebrate species display the wholesale loss of major organs systems as a result of the drastic reduction in body size (Hanken and Wake 1993). Hanken and Wake also have shown that morphological novelty is a common result of miniaturization. Morphological novelty, in essence, is the development of new structures in the miniature organism. For example, as body size decreases, certain vital organs will only be able to be reduced by a certain amount and still function. As a result organs such as the inner ear remain large relative to the size of the miniature skull, and structural innovations have to occur in order to support the proportionately large inner ear.

In 1983, James Hanken, at the University of Colorado determined that the adult skull of the Plethodontid salamanders could be characterized by three observations: 1) there was a limited development or even an absence of several ossified elements such as dentition and other bones; 2) there was interspecific and intraspecific variability; 3) there were novel mophological configurations of the braincase and jaw (Hanken 1983).

In his experiments, Hanken found that cranial miniaturization of the Thorius skull was achieved at the expense of ossification. Much of the ossified skeleton was lost or reduced, especially in the anterior elements, which are seen typically in larger adult salamanders (Hanken 1983). In contrast to this ossified downsizing, many of the sensory organs were not diminished in size — therefore present in greater proportion to the rest of the reduced head. He also reported that due to the geometrical space availability, there is a competition for space in reduced sized skulls, and the “predominant brain, otic capsules, and eyes have imposed structural rearrangements on much of the skull that remains” (Hanken 1983).

Hanken proposed that paedomorphosis was the mode of evolution of the plethodontid salamanders (Hanken 1983). Paedomorphosis is the state where the miniaturized structures of the adult salamanders can be described as arrested juvenile states. To support this theory, Hanken showed data where cranial skeletal reduction was less extreme in the posterior regions of the skull. One of the hallmarks of paedamorphosis is the lack of conservation in structures derived late in development. Early developed structures are highly conserved, and the latter derivations become either lost, or greatly reduced. Again, Hanken has shown that elements appearing late in development exhibit greater variation among species than do elements appearing earlier in ontogeny (Hanken 1983). But the presence of novel morphological features cannot be accounted for merely by truncated development and the retention of juvenile traits. Miniature Plethodontid salamanders display features that are not present in other species, juvenile or adult. These novel morphological features are associated with the evolution of decreased size and are postulated to compensate for the reductions occurring in other areas (Hanken 1983).

In 1985, Trueb and Alberch published a paper presenting similar results in their experiments with frogs. They explored the “relationships between body sizes of anurans and their cranial configurations with respect to the degree of ossification of the skull and two ontogenetic variables‹shape and number of differentiation events” (Trueb and Alberch 1985). Trueb and Alberch examined three morphological variables: size, sequence of differentiation events, and shape changes in individual structures. Size and snout length were measured, and the data showed that the more heavily ossified frogs tended to be smaller, whereas the less-ossified species were of average size, contrary to what was hypothesized. But Trueb and Alberch also attributed the diminution in size to paedomorphosis, citing that the smaller frogs lacked one or more of the elements typically associated with anuran skulls‹these missing elements were typically late in the developmental sequence. It is significant to note, however, that although there was an apparent paedomorphic trend, it could not be “applied unequivocally to all anuans” (Trueb and Alberch 1985). Very little research has been done on the effects of miniaturization on fish. In 1993, Buckup published a paper discussing the phylogeny of newly found minature species of Characidiin fish, but the extent of the examination was merely an acknowledgment that the species were indeed miniatures so that they could be taxonomically reclassified ( Buckup 1993). It is this deficit of knowledge with regard to miniaturization in fish that prompts this research.

Statement of the Problem:

How does miniaturization affect other vertebrates, such as fish? There are over 85 species of freshwater South American fish which are regarded as miniature, spanning 5 orders, 11 families and 40 genera (Hanken and Wake 1993). One such species, Apistogramma cacatuoides, is a South American Cichlid native to Peru. It lives in shallow water bodies in the rainforests, where miniature size is necessary. Males in this species reach approximately 8cm, and females only 5cm. This makes A. cacatuoides an ideal specimen for examination. In this senior honors thesis, I intend to examine the effects of miniaturization on cranial morphology of A. cacatuoides.

Plan of Research:

In this thesis, I will compare the cranial anatomy of A. cacatuoides to that of “Cichlasoma” (Archocentrus) nigrofasciatum, a commonly bred fish reared by aquarists known as the Convict Cichlid, a “typical” medium-sized cichlid also of South American origin. The Convicts will be examined at various stages in development, from juvenile to adult, and will be compared to A.cacatuoides.

The first part of this project will involve whole mount preparation of A. cacatuoides, utilizing the staining and clearing procedures described by Taylor and Van Dyke, 1985. This procedure involves the use of Alizarin Red and Alcian Blue to stain bone and cartilage, and takes into account the adaptations and recommendations Proposed in an earlier paper (Hanken and Wassersug 1981). The Taylor and Van Dyke procedure is specifically for the staining and clearing of small fish and other vertebrates. I tested the procedure during last semester¹s Independent Study and made a few minor adjustments to the protocol.

First, the specimens will be placed serially into an absolute ethyl alcohol solution and stained with Alcian Blue. The fish will then be neutralized in a saturated borax solution, transferred to a 20% hydrogen peroxide solution in potassium hydroxide, and then bleached under a fluorescent light. The unwanted soft tissues will then be cleared using trypsin powder, and then stained in KOH again with alizarin red. The final preparation of the fish involves rinsing the fish, and placing them serially into 40%, 70%, and finally 100% glycerin.

Following the above preparation of the specimens, the crania of the A. cacatuoides specimens will be examined for morphological variation and compared to the cranial anatomy of the Convict cichlid as a progenitor reference point examined at various developmental stages to see if paedomorphosis in indeed the mechanism of miniaturization in A. cacatuoides.

Expected Costs:

The project is estimated to cost no more that five hundred dollars for chemicals and supplies for the entire year.

Literature Cited:

Hanken, J., 1983. Miniaturization and its Effects on Cranial Morphology in Plethodontid Salamanders, Genus Thorius (Amphibia: Plethodontidae). I. Osteological Variation”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (London) 23: 55-75.

Hanken, James, 1983. Miniaturization and its Effects on Cranial Morhology in Plethodontid Salamanders, Genus Thorius (Amphibia, Plethodintidae): II.The Fate of the Brain and Sense Organs and Their Role in Skull Morphogenesis and Evolution . Journal of Morphology 177: 255-268.

Hanken, James and David Wake, 1993. Miniaturization of Body Size: Origanismal Consequences and Evolutionary Significance. Annual Review of Ecological Systems 24: 501-19.

Harrison, I. J., 1996. Interface Areas in Small Fish. Zoological Symposium No. 69. The Zoological Society of London: London.

Miller, P. J., 1996. Miniature Vertebrates: The Implications of Small Body Size. Symposium of the Zoological Society of London. No. 69: 15-45.

Taylor, William R. and George Van Dyke, 1985. Revised Procedures for Staining and Clearing Small Fishes and Other Vertebrates for Small Bone and Cartilage Study. Cybium. 9(2): 107-119.

Trueb, L. and P. Alberch, 1985. Miniaturization and the Anuran Skull: a Case Study of Heterochrony. Fortschritte der Zoologie. Bund 30.

Williams, T. Walley, 1941 Bone and Cartilage. Stain. Tech. 16:23-25.

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Ecology Dissertation Research Topics

Published by Grace Graffin at January 6th, 2023 , Revised On August 11, 2023

Introduction

A unique dissertation topic is necessary for students to make a mark in their fields of study. This blog post provides several ecology dissertation topics for your consideration if you are about to start your ecology dissertation work. The issues presented in this post when researched in depth will help you enhance your knowledge regarding the ecological system of the earth. These topics will also give you an idea about how to protect the earth and its environment.

An ecology dissertation is something relevant to the modern world, which can help evaluate the impact of the contemporary world upon nature and help us understand how to balance the human-nature bond. Without further ado, here is our selection of ecology dissertation topics and ecology research topics.

Topic 1: Impact of Soil Pollution: An Ecological Disaster

Topic 2: greenhouse: an advancement towards environment protection, topic 3: tree plantation on world environment day: a step to protect the earth, topic 4: smog: an impact on the environment, topic 5: nature: the mother of invention is at stake, topic 6: agricultural growth in the uk: a part of protecting nature, topic 7: the impact of acid rain on aquatic life, topic 8: rainwater harvesting: a culture of the east, topic 9: modern technology protects the environment: a step to produce harmless waste..

Topic 10: A Workshop on ‘Art of living’ for Students: An Education on Eco-Friendly Attitude

Topic 11: The War of the Modern World: Man vs Nature

Topic 12: afforestation: a growing need for nature, topic 13: nature conservation in metropolitan cities, topic 14: the harmful impact of pesticides on nature and human beings.

These ecology research topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives , literature review along with the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for 2022 here.

Also read: Sustainability and green technology dissertation topics and environmental engineering dissertation topics

2022 Ecology Research Topics and Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: impact of urban biodiversity on the economic growth and sustainability of a city- a case of tropical indonesian cities.

Research Aim: This research intends to find the impact of urban biodiversity on a city’s economic growth and sustainability. It will show how urban biodiversity affects various economic growth and sustainability metrics (employment levels, carbon emissions, air quality index, population growth, infrastructure development, etc.) of tropical cities in Indonesia. Moreover, it will show how urban authorities in Indonesia maintain biodiversity and take advantage of it. Lastly, it will recommend learning from Indonesia to increase their urban biodiversity and sustainability.

Topic 2: Ecology and Information Technology (IT)- A Study to find the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain Technology in Developing Ecologically Sustainable Cities in China

Research Aim: This research aims to find the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain technology in developing ecologically sustainable cities in China. It will discover how these technologies can reduce urban environmental problems such as flooding, climate change, drinking water supply, energy supply, drainage, waste disposal, etc. Moreover, it will assess how China uses these technologies to reduce its urban ecological problems and how they can proceed?

Topic 3: Impact of Increased Urban Transport Infrastructure on the Ecological Ecosystem of Cities in Developing Countries

Research Aim: This study analyzes the impact of increased urban transport infrastructure on the ecological ecosystem of cities in developing countries. It will show how an increase in public and private vehicles affected the ecology of various cities in developing countries, such as their carbon emission levels, increase in population, increase in urban waste, traffic congestion, etc. It will show how developing countries deal with this problem and adjust their urban transport infrastructure to prevent urban ecological issues.

Topic 4: Impact of Green Infrastructure Investments on Economic Development in Sub-Sharan Africa

Research Aim: This research aims to find the impact of green infrastructure investments on economic development in Sub-Sharan Africa. It will show how public and private investments in green infrastructure projects, research and development (R&D), green marketing, etc., affect economic development metrics such as human development index (HDI), life expectancy, income levels, population growth, etc. It will show how far Sub-Sharan African countries have progressed in green infrastructure development? And how can they proceed further with the help of developed countries and other international institutions in increasing green infrastructure investments to increase economic development?

Topic 5: Evolution of Microorganisms and their Socio-Economic Implications for Humankind

Research Aim: This study sheds light on the evolution of microorganisms and their socio-economic implications for humankind. It will explore the changes in the microorganisms over time and their effects on society in the form of new diseases, health hazards, reduction in population and income levels. It will show how various civilizations faced microorganisms induced socio-economic catastrophes? What did they do to save themselves from these microorganisms-induced socio-economic catastrophes? And what can be its modern implications? How can current states deal with these microorganisms-induced socio-economic disasters with advancement in medical science and increased wealth?

Ecology Research Topics

Research Aim: This research aims to determine the impact of soil pollution, which hampers the entire ecological system. Man-created pollutants harm the soil, and in this modern era, the rate of increasing soil pollution is on the way to destroying the environmental system. The research is done to trace the reasons for pollutions and provide recommendations for them.

Research Aim: This research aims to evaluate the advanced use of greenhouses in protecting the environment. The greenhouse is up with the productivity of corps. The greenhouses protect plants from excess heat and cold and also from hazardous pests.

Research Aim: This dissertation paper intends to find out the impact of tree plantation on World Environment Day in 5 different countries. The rate of tree plantation will also be measured.

Research Aim: This research has the goal to evaluate the impact of smog pollution on the environment. Smog is the mixture of smoke and fog that consumes many pollutants that pollute the air, and the result is environmental pollution.

Research Aim: This research paper aims to analyze the impact of different kinds of pollution on the mother of invention, nature. Air, water, soil pollutions are the reasons which harm the environment. Due to this pollution, the mother of invention is in danger.

Research Aim: The focus of this research paper is to evaluate agricultural growth in the UK. The aim is to find out how the UK is protecting its environment by supporting agricultural development. Productivity not only saves nature but also profits the UK economically.

Research Aim: This research paper aims to trace the impact of acid rain on aquatic life. It includes both plants and marine animals. The harmful effect of acid rain kills a million lives in water. This research’s objective is to find out some measures to save them.

Research Aim: This dissertation focuses on how rainwater harvesting is done in Eastern culture. This initiative is an excellent step in the eastern countries, which saves the water and utilizes the rainwater by keeping it for the entire season.

Research Aim: The objective of this dissertation is to seek out the ways through which modern technology is producing harmless waste to protect nature. This unusual step can decrease water, soil, and air pollution and save the earth by creating a harmless environment.

Topic 10: A Workshop on 'Art of living' for Students: An Education on Eco-Friendly Attitude

Research Aim: This research paper focuses on the education of students in diverse areas of the world. The importance of the workshop on ‘art of living is also a topic of evaluation.

Research Aim: This research paper aims to show the impact of the war on the modern world, that is, man vs. nature. Technology and current invention have led the entire human species to believe that they are the creator, forgetting the mother of the invention of nature. This created an adverse impact on both humans and nature.

Research Aim: This dissertation focuses on evaluating the growing need of nature that is afforestation. The modern world cut down forests for its own benefit. This disbalances the entire ecosystem. Hence, the increasing demand of nature towards afforestation.

Research Aim: The dissertation focuses on the importance of nature conservation in metropolitan cities. Due to cutting down trees, the metropolitan cities are suffering from an insufficiency of pure air. Tree plantation is essential in those cities to save the environment.

Research Aim: This research paper aims to evaluate the harmful impacts of pesticides on both nature and humans. Pesticides pollute soil, and the poisonous effect of it on plants harm both plant and human.