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Spotting pseudoreplication 1.Inspect spatial (temporal) layout of the experiment 2.Examine degrees of freedom in analysis
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Degrees of freedom (df) Number of independent terms used to estimate the parameter = Total number of datapoints – number of parameters estimated from data
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Example: Variance If we have 3 data points with a mean value of 10, what’s the df for the variance estimate? Independent term method: Can the first data point be any number? Can the second data point be any number? Can the third data point be any number? Yes, say 8 Yes, say 12 No – as mean is fixed ! Variance is (y – mean) 2 / (n-1)
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Example: Variance If we have 3 data points with a mean value of 10, what’s the df for the variance estimate? Independent term method: Therefore 2 independent terms (df = 2)
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Example: Variance If we have 3 data points with a mean value of 10, what’s the df for the variance estimate? Subtraction method Total number of data points? Number of estimates from the data? df= 3-1 = 2 3 1
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Example: Linear regression Y = mx + b Therefore 2 parameters estimated simultaneously (df = n-2)
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Example: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4 What is n for each level?
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Example: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4 n = 4 How many df for each variance estimate? df = 3 df = 3 df = 3
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Example: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4 What’s the within-treatment df for an ANOVA? Within-treatment df = 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 df = 3 df = 3 df = 3
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Example: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4ABCa1 b1 c1a2 b2 c2a3 b3 c3a4 b4 c4 If an ANOVA has k levels and n data points per level, what’s a simple formula for within-treatment df? df = k(n-1)
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Spotting pseudoreplication An experiment has 10 fertilized and 10 unfertilized plots, with 5 plants per plot. The researcher reports df=98 for the ANOVA (within-treatment MS). Is there pseudoreplication?
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Spotting pseudoreplication An experiment has 10 fertilized and 10 unfertilized plots, with 5 plants per plot. The researcher reports df=98 for the ANOVA. Yes! As k=2, n=10, then df = 2(10-1) = 18
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Spotting pseudoreplication An experiment has 10 fertilized and 10 unfertilized plots, with 5 plants per plot. The researcher reports df=98 for the ANOVA. What mistake did the researcher make?
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Spotting pseudoreplication An experiment has 10 fertilized and 10 unfertilized plots, with 5 plants per plot. The researcher reports df=98 for the ANOVA. Assumed n=50: 2(50-1)=98
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Why is pseudoreplication a problem? Hint: think about what we use df for!
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How prevalent? Hurlbert (1984): 48% of papers Heffner et al. (1996): 12 to 14% of papers
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Statistics review Basic concepts: Variability measures Distributions Hypotheses Types of error Common analyses T-tests One-way ANOVA Two-way ANOVA Randomized block
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Variance Ecological rule # 1: Everything varies …but how much does it vary?
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Variance S 2 = Σ (x i – x ) 2 n-1 x Sum-of-square cake
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Variance S 2 = Σ (x i – x ) 2 n-1 x
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Variance S 2 = Σ (x i – x ) 2 n-1 What is the variance of 4, 3, 3, 2 ? What are the units?
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Variance variants 1. Standard deviation (s, or SD) = Square root (variance) Advantage: units
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Variance variants 2. Standard error (S.E.) = s n Advantage: indicates precision
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How to report We observed 29.7 (+ 5.3) grizzly bears per month (mean + S.E.). A mean (+ SD)of 29.7 (+ 7.4) grizzly bears were seen per month + 1SE or SD - 1SE or SD
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Distributions Normal Quantitative data Poisson Count (frequency) data
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Normal distribution 67% of data within 1 SD of mean 95% of data within 2 SD of mean
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Poisson distribution mean Mostly, nothing happens (lots of zeros)
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Poisson distribution Frequency data Lots of zero (or minimum value) data Variance increases with the mean
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1.Correct for correlation between mean and variance by log-transforming y (but log (0) is undefined!!) 2.Use non-parametric statistics (but low power) 3.Use a “generalized linear model” specifying a Poisson distribution What do you do with Poisson data?
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Null (Ho): no effect of our experimental treatment, “status quo” Alternative (Ha): there is an effect Hypotheses
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Whose null hypothesis? Conditions very strict for rejecting Ho, whereas accepting Ho is easy (just a matter of not finding grounds to reject it). A criminal trial? Exotic plant species? WTO?
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Hypotheses Null (Ho) and alternative (Ha): always mutually exclusive So if Ha is treatment>control…
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Types of error Type 1 error Type 2 error Reject HoAccept Ho Ho true Ho false
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Usually ensure only 5% chance of type 1 error (ie. Alpha =0.05) Ability to minimize type 2 error: called power Types of error
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