Field Trip Purpose

1
Field Trip Purpose

• To learn about fox squirrel habitat use on the
  KSU campus.
• Why? The KSU alumni association is hard up for
  money and is going to selectively harvest trees
  on campus to raise money from timber sales.
• KDWP is worried about the fox squirrel population
  and requires an environmental impact statement
  that addresses the following questions
• What kind of trees do squirrels use as refugia?
• Do squirrels prefer trees clumped closely
  together or spread far apart?
• Do squirrels prefer large or small trees?

2
Hypothesis testing

• We hypothesize that fox squirrels on the KSU
  campus will use deciduous trees more frequently
  than coniferous trees.
• Squirrels will prefer trees that are closely
  clumped together.
• Squirrels will prefer large trees.

3
Data collection
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4
How do you find unoccupied trees?

• Easy to bias your sample
• Bring an analog watch (with an hour hand and
  second hand). Look at the watch, walk in
  direction of second hand.

5
Data Sheets(you only need to measure 10 trees
with squirrels and 10 trees without squirrels)
6
Statistical Hypothesis testing

• Ho null hypothesis no difference between
  groups
• Ha alternative hypothesis significant
  difference between groups

7

• We hypothesize that fox squirrels on the KSU
  campus will use deciduous trees more frequently
  than coniferous trees.
• Ho There is no difference in frequency of
  occupation in coniferous and deciduous trees
• Ha Squirrels occupy coniferous trees at a
  different frequency than they occupy deciduous
  trees

8

• Squirrels will prefer trees that are closely
  clumped together.
• Ho There is no difference in nearest neighbor
  distance between used and unused trees.
• There is a significant difference in nearest
  neighbor distance between occupied and unoccupied
  trees.

9

• Squirrels will prefer large trees.
• Ho There is no difference in circumference
  between occupied and unoccupied trees
• Ha There is a significant difference in
  circumference between occupied and unoccupied
  trees

10
Things to turn in

• Today, in class A list with your groups name.
  When you turn it in, you will receive a measuring
  tape.
• Thursday, by midnight An excel spreadsheet
  exactly like the one I handed out, with the data
  entered. LABEL the columns!!! (15 pts). One
  spreadsheet per group. Email to wisely_at_ksu.edu
• Friday The measuring tapes (25 pts) and a field
  journal entry (10 pts). One field journal entry
  per person.

11
Field journal

• Name, names of associates, date, location
  (general and specific)
• Purpose of study
• Log of activities
• Observations of nature
• May be hand written, but MUST BE LEGIBLE.