Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
example, suppose that during experimentation we encountered a period of
unusually cold days that caused many insects in the field to crawl under
leaves on the ground and take advantage of the insulative value of the leaf
litter. Such a temperature change also could lead to a decline in the num-
ber of insect species observed in our experimental plots. If temperature
change was the driver of insect abundance, then we should see a decline in
both treatment and control plots. So, without a control, there is a risk that
we may falsely conclude that the experimental manipulation of food caused
the decline in insect species diversity.The point is if we do not have an ex-
perimental control, then we cannot draw reliable conclusions about our hy-
pothesis test. No Control = No Conclusion.
The discussion of ecological complexity, evolution by natural selection
and science methodology provided above has equipped us with working
foundational concepts.These concepts are variously applied in the rest of
the topic to show how ecological science can offer a scientific route to un-
derstanding ecosystem structure and function, and to offer policy makers
and managers insights to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems.
