1. Course Progress NSI

2. Topics Covered • Logic • Reasoning and Evidence • Sampling • Bias, variance and making inferences • Statistics • Making probability statements for 3 types of data comparisons • The nature of science • Hypotheses, refutability, expert opinion

3. Observation Hypothesis Design test ? Manage & analyze data The scientific method Conduct test Reject or accept hypothesis Interpret results Communicate findings

4. Observation Hypothesis Design test Conduct test ? Reject or accept hypothesis Communicate findings The scientific method Manage & analyze data Interpret results

5. Next steps… • 1. Critical analysis and exposure to science-related issues • 2. Formulate a hypothesis and design a study to test it • 3. Integrate all aspects of the scientific method into your final project

6. Water quality in stream ecosystems

7. A complex system

8. The Systems Approach • A system is any phenomenon having at least 2 separable components and some interaction between them. • Properties: • 1) They are modular, i.e. can be separated into components • 2) They are hierarchical, i.e. each system is part of a hierarchy of other systems

9. wilderness area wetlands lakes forests streams ….. stream 1 ecosystem stream 2 ecosystem stream k ecosystem abiotic biotic H20 quality external factors arthropods fish Micro-organisms plants temp pH dissolved particulates micro- macro- beetle mayfly stonefly caddisfly ….. individual 1 individual 2 Individual k “Each level finds its explanation in the levels below, and its significance in the levels above” -Bartholomew

10. Once the components are identified, we can then create a model of how the components of interest are related. • A model is any representation (simplified) of a real system. • Models are used for: • 1) Understanding • 2) Prediction • 3) Management

11. Fertilizer run-off Fish Building a simple model Algae Macroarthropods

12. Fertilizer run-off Fish ..…levels of resolution Herbivorous insects Algae Predatory insects

13. Streams drain watersheds

14. Channel & Riparian Zone

15. Riparian zone management Household discharge Agriculture Industrial discharge Exposure to the sun Erosion Sewage Dissolved compounds Temperature Dissolved gases (*O2) Turbidity Microbes pH Water Quality Pollution Chemical Thermal Particulate

16. Bio-indicators: “EPT Diversity” Ephemeroptera (mayfly) Plecoptera (stonefly) Trichoptera (caddisfly)

17. Other potentially useful bio-indicators: • Odonata: dragonflies & damselflies

18. Other potentially useful bio-indicators: • Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnida)

19. A giant water bug infested with water mites

21. Larval Attachment: • A resilient, accordian-like “stylostome” is cemented to the host cuticle and serves as a feeding tube. • 300-600 X volume increase!!! Photo from Abro (1984)

22. Other common (and more tolerant) aquatic insects Coleoptera (beetles) Hemiptera (true bugs) Diptera (true flies)

23. Summary • 1) Breaking down complex systems into manageable components • 2) Creating a model consisting of components and relationships between them • 3) Using aquatic arthropods as biological indicators of water quality

24. Rain Beetle

25. Field trip (Monday / Wednesday) • Rain or shine! • Bring: • warm clothes • rain gear • something to write with & something to write on • Vans leave at 9am sharp(!), between Cramer and Smith Halls (on Broadway).

26. References • Hall 1997. Ecosystem modeling in theory and practice: an introduction with case histories. Wiley & Sons, NYC • Orians 1980. Micro and Macro in ecological theory. BioScience 30: 79 • Walters 1971. Systems ecology: the systems approach and mathematical models in ecology. • EPA 1997. Volunteer stream monitoring: a methods manual. Available Online, http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/stream/index.html • Photos: Several websites including Ken Gray Insect Photo Gallery, http://www.ent3.orst.edu/kgphoto/showall.cfm