Description/Paper Instructions
Topic: Wildlife Habitat Suitability Analysis and Report
Paper details:
Methods: An ecological ‘walk in the woods’
Option 1: Visiting a nearby wooded area
If you are able to do so, please visit a nearby wooded area (please review the safety
guidelines outlined in the Lab 1 handout). Follow the following procedure to complete
the lab:
Establish a 10mX10m plot (or 10 large paces X 10 large paces); if possible, mark the
corners of your plot with string, tape, or anything other visible object
Complete the sheet on page 7 AND take detailed field notes (they will come in
handy when completing the assignment)
Once your plot is established:
1. Describe the strata at the location (as described above)
2. Identify all tree species in the location (use the tree id kit included in this lab’s
materials, or any number of plant identification apps, such as iNaturalist)
3. Use the key in Appendix 1 of this handout to determine the location’s Ecosite #
NOTE: Three spaces are provided on the page 7, so that you can practice keying out
up to 3 different locations. Only one site must be keyed-out to complete the
assignment.
Option 2: A virtual visit to the “Dairy Bush”
If you are unable to visit an outdoor location, then you can complete the following steps:
1. Follow this link to view a high resolution digital image taken of a wooded area in
Guelph, Ontario.
http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/222064
2. Called a “gigapan”, this image will allow you to zoom in to the trees in the area to
identify what species they are (Note: in the image, some trees with green tape
have their foliage attached to the trunk for easier identification)
3. Use the key in Appendix 1 of this handout to determine the location’s Ecosite
NOTE: Tips for proper use of the key in Appendix 1
The dichotomous key in Appendix 1 uses short forms of tree species names that
are referenced in Appendix 2. For example, Mh is short for “Sugar Maple”, or
“Hard Maple”; Ce is “Eastern White Cedar”, etc.
At the START: Unless you are in a very wet location with the tree associations
mentioned, then your answer to the first question under “START” is probably
“NO” or “N” and would bring you past “Division 2” (i.e. the 2 inside a circle).
Answering “N” to that first question will keep you on the same page of the key for
the next question that asks about the Overstorey tree species composition. If
you answer “YES” or “Y” to that first question, then you proceed along the arrow
marked “A” to the next page and along past “Division 21”.
Continue following the questions as you proceed through the key based on the
species composition of the trees that make up the canopy or overstorey (see
page 2)
o For the gigapan, the camera is not directly pointing up at the canopy, but
you should be able to determine the dominant (or most abundant) tree
species that makes up the canopy
When you get to the bottom of the key, you will reach an Ecosite # that is divided
as #.1 or #.2. Ignore the decimal value, and just use the whole number. For
example, Ecosite 26.1 or 26.2, should simply be considered Ecosite 26
BIOL 2446 Lab 2
page 4 of 10
Assignment: FEC Manual Wildlife Suitability Analysis & Report
Due date: Your lab section during the week of Oct 5, 2020
A Fictitious Proposed Development:
A developer is proposing to transform the location that you analyzed and
keyed-out in order to build a new shopping centre
You will write report presenting both your field (or online) observations, and
also data and information from the FEC Manual, as an argument in favour of
the development or against the development
Main Objectives
1. Write a report that connects the field (or online) sampling you conducted with
the information in the FEC Manual documents. It is essential to use both
the actual field (online) information (i.e. methods & site features) and
the FEC documentation (including other external sources) to make an
argument for, or against, the hypothetical proposed development
a. Remember: you did not sample wildlife, so your argument is based on
wildlife habitat suitability indicators, not the actual presence (or
absence) of wildlife
2. Know your audience:
a. This report is being written for:
i. Local government (city councilors, your local MPP, etc.)
ii. Local citizens groups
iii. Members of the public
iv. The construction company under contract to develop the area
v. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Biologists
3. Your report must include:
a. A general explanation for the reader. Remember: your audience has
probably never heard of an “ecosite” or an “FEC Guide”, so your report
has to be written for a “lay” reader
b. Include the following:
i. A description of an FEC Manual
ii. The definition of any FEC Manual-specific vocabulary (for example,
“ecosite”)
iii. A description of how you used the FEC Manual to “key-out” “Location
#3”
iv. Using information from your field notes about “Location #3” about
the types of trees present and their relative abundance, explain why
your group arrived at Ecosite #__ for “Location #3”
v. A detailed description of the potential wildlife suitability of “Location
#3” for all of the wildlife species listed in the FEC Manual’s “Wildlife
Habitat Suitability” information (available in-lab, and on Blackboard)
BIOL 2446 Lab 2
page 5 of 10
vi. Finally, based on the mixture of your field notes and the FEC Manual
information, make an argument about whether – in your opinion – the
development should proceed. When you graduate with a degree
from university and become a “professional” this will be expected of
you in “the real world”, so take this part seriously as a dry run for you
future professional life
WARNINGS!
Ignoring the following will seriously affect your mark:
1. There are graphs that help to identify the suitability of an ecosite for each wildlife
species. DO NOT ONLY USE THE GRAPH FOR EACH SPECIES! Read the
information that accompanies the graph and EXTRACT the information to write your
report about the suitability of “Location #3” for each wildlife species in the FEC
information
2. DO NOT COPY DIRECTLY FROM THE FEC MANUAL INFORMATION.
Remember, the main point here is to connect the information from the wildlife habitat
suitability information to the actual site features at “Location #3”.
a) Make sure that you cite the FEC guide in the text using in-text referencing (for
example, moose require conifer cover for thermal protection in winter
(Chambers et al.1997)).
b) Also you must hand in a References section that includes that references the
FEC Manual (see the Literature Cited section in this handout, pg. 10) and any
other sources you use for your report.
3. WE WILL NOT SAMPLE ANY ANIMALS DURING LAB!
a) You are assessing the potential suitability of wildlife habitat at “Location
#3”. Do not state that any of the 5 animals in the wildlife information
sheets are actually at the location For example, when describing the
suitability of “Location #3” for moose, you should describe the potential
suitability of “Location #3” for moose, DO NOT state that moose actually live
there and use the site (unless you have evidence based on observation or
other empirical data)
WHAT YOU WILL SUBMIT THROUGH BLACKBOARD
1. No more than 2 pages (approximately 500 words). DOUBLE-SPACED! Use
default margins and 12 point font. In-text parenthetical referencing must be used for
all sources (including the FEC Manual). For example, “White-tailed deer prefer a
mix of deciduous and coniferous tree species to provide food supply and protection
from winter temperatures, respectively (Chambers et al. 1997)”. OR “Preferred
nesting habitat for red-shouldered hawk can be found in ecosite 28 (Bellhouse and
Naylor 1996)”.
2. A “References” section on a separate page (or back of page). The heading
“References” should be at the top of the page.
CHECKLIST:
Use the following checklist to make sure that you have included all the
appropriate information and that you have formatted the paper properly.
1. Is your explanation of the FEC Manual, its terminology (such as ecosite, polygon,
overstorey, intolerant hardwoods, etc.), and our field methodology explained well
enough for a layperson (i.e. non-ecologist) to understand?
BIOL 2446 Lab 2
page 6 of 10
2. Have you linked the information from the wildlife habitat suitability sheets to the
actual conditions at “Location #3”?
3. Are you using in-text referencing of the FEC guide (Chambers et al. 1997) and/or
any other external sources of information?
4. Have you included a References section that lists the FEC guide as well as any
other sources of information that you used to write this paper?
5. Is your argument based on the potential suitability of wildlife habitat and not based
on your assumptions about the actual presence of animals on site?
Lateness Policy – Recall from Lab 1:
Written assignments are to be submitted through Blackboard on, or before,
the specified due date. Assignments must be either a Microsoft Word
document (*.doc or *.docx) or an Adobe “portable document format”
(*.pdf)
RUBRIC
QUALITY OF RESPONSE |
NO RESPONSE |
POOR / UNSATISFACTORY |
SATISFACTORY |
GOOD |
EXCELLENT |
Content (worth a maximum of 50% of the total points) |
Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. |
20 points out of 50: The essay illustrates poor understanding of the relevant material by failing to address or incorrectly addressing the relevant content; failing to identify or inaccurately explaining/defining key concepts/ideas; ignoring or incorrectly explaining key points/claims and the reasoning behind them; and/or incorrectly or inappropriately using terminology; and elements of the response are lacking. |
30 points out of 50: The essay illustrates a rudimentary understanding of the relevant material by mentioning but not full explaining the relevant content; identifying some of the key concepts/ideas though failing to fully or accurately explain many of them; using terminology, though sometimes inaccurately or inappropriately; and/or incorporating some key claims/points but failing to explain the reasoning behind them or doing so inaccurately. Elements of the required response may also be lacking. |
40 points out of 50: The essay illustrates solid understanding of the relevant material by correctly addressing most of the relevant content; identifying and explaining most of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology; explaining the reasoning behind most of the key points/claims; and/or where necessary or useful, substantiating some points with accurate examples. The answer is complete. |
50 points: The essay illustrates exemplary understanding of the relevant material by thoroughly and correctly addressing the relevant content; identifying and explaining all of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology explaining the reasoning behind key points/claims and substantiating, as necessary/useful, points with several accurate and illuminating examples. No aspects of the required answer are missing. |
Use of Sources (worth a maximum of 20% of the total points). |
Zero points: Student failed to include citations and/or references. Or the student failed to submit a final paper. |
5 out 20 points: Sources are seldom cited to support statements and/or format of citations are not recognizable as APA 6th Edition format. There are major errors in the formation of the references and citations. And/or there is a major reliance on highly questionable. The Student fails to provide an adequate synthesis of research collected for the paper. |
10 out 20 points: References to scholarly sources are occasionally given; many statements seem unsubstantiated. Frequent errors in APA 6th Edition format, leaving the reader confused about the source of the information. There are significant errors of the formation in the references and citations. And/or there is a significant use of highly questionable sources. |
15 out 20 points: Credible Scholarly sources are used effectively support claims and are, for the most part, clear and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition is used with only a few minor errors. There are minor errors in reference and/or citations. And/or there is some use of questionable sources. |
20 points: Credible scholarly sources are used to give compelling evidence to support claims and are clearly and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition format is used accurately and consistently. The student uses above the maximum required references in the development of the assignment. |
Grammar (worth maximum of 20% of total points) |
Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. |
5 points out of 20: The paper does not communicate ideas/points clearly due to inappropriate use of terminology and vague language; thoughts and sentences are disjointed or incomprehensible; organization lacking; and/or numerous grammatical, spelling/punctuation errors |
10 points out 20: The paper is often unclear and difficult to follow due to some inappropriate terminology and/or vague language; ideas may be fragmented, wandering and/or repetitive; poor organization; and/or some grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors |
15 points out of 20: The paper is mostly clear as a result of appropriate use of terminology and minimal vagueness; no tangents and no repetition; fairly good organization; almost perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage. |
20 points: The paper is clear, concise, and a pleasure to read as a result of appropriate and precise use of terminology; total coherence of thoughts and presentation and logical organization; and the essay is error free. |
Structure of the Paper (worth 10% of total points) |
Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. |
3 points out of 10: Student needs to develop better formatting skills. The paper omits significant structural elements required for and APA 6th edition paper. Formatting of the paper has major flaws. The paper does not conform to APA 6th edition requirements whatsoever. |
5 points out of 10: Appearance of final paper demonstrates the student’s limited ability to format the paper. There are significant errors in formatting and/or the total omission of major components of an APA 6th edition paper. They can include the omission of the cover page, abstract, and page numbers. Additionally the page has major formatting issues with spacing or paragraph formation. Font size might not conform to size requirements. The student also significantly writes too large or too short of and paper |
7 points out of 10: Research paper presents an above-average use of formatting skills. The paper has slight errors within the paper. This can include small errors or omissions with the cover page, abstract, page number, and headers. There could be also slight formatting issues with the document spacing or the font Additionally the paper might slightly exceed or undershoot the specific number of required written pages for the assignment. |
10 points: Student provides a high-caliber, formatted paper. This includes an APA 6th edition cover page, abstract, page number, headers and is double spaced in 12’ Times Roman Font. Additionally, the paper conforms to the specific number of required written pages and neither goes over or under the specified length of the paper. |
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