READINGS FOR FORESTS CLASS, Fall 2019


I. FOR FIRST WEEK OF CLASS, DISCUSSION, Thursday, 12 Sept.

READ and prepare to discuss:
A) This online newsletter article about the ecology of Lyme disease in the northeastern US.  Don't hesitate to follow up with further research/reading using information or links in this article.
B) The research publication that the article above is summarizing.  This will be a challenging read: don't panic.  I don't expect you to follow all the detail, grasp a lot of the technical stuff.  But DO try to a) get a feel for the RESEARCH QUESTIONS addressed, b) the GENERAL APPROACH of the researchers, c) their CONCLUSIONS with respect to initial questions, and d) frame some QUESTIONS both about the work they did and about what you'd see as interesting further work.

For most, maybe all of you this will be a first foray into the scientific primary (original research).  Here are some NOTES about approaching primary research papers.

The ASSIGNMENT:
* Come to class with notes on questions -- both 'questions of fact', definitions, background, AND questions about underlying or emergent ideas.
* Frame two or three SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS that emerge from this reading.  What would you want to find out next?
You don't need to hand these in, but I'll call on some of you in class -- SO DO write them down so you'll remember them.  

II. FOR CLASS DISCUSSION, Thursday  7 Nov.

Read the following paper for discussion in class. ANTICIPATE that you'll need to read it two or three times. Also ANTICIPATE that I might call on you individually to: a) identify and explain the research question or hypothesis, b) summarize the research design (here it will be important to work to grasp the basic logic and structure without worrying about technical bits): c) summarize the authors' interpretation of their data with respect to their hypotheses (focus on the graphs for this...): and d) consider possibilities for further research. You should ALL come to class with notes on these questions.

ALSO, make notes of  any 'questions of fact' or background that arise in your reading -- terms, definitions, etc. that come up and you haven't been able to quickly look up.  (DO NOT worry so much about statistical jargon and methodologies; we'll talk about that in class...)

REREAD the 'NOTES' link above...

   Maerz, J.C., et al. 2009.  Declines in Woodland Salamander Abundance Associated with Non-Native Earthworm and Plant Invasions. Conservation Biology 23:975-981.