Designing a field experiment and implementing it was a whole new experience for me. At first it felt quite a lot of work and was overwhelming but slowly over time it felt achievable.
One of the biggest issues with the experimental design was the selection of the study area. The area where I made my initial observations was huge but sampling the entire area was beyond the scope of this course. Finally a plot within the area was selected which was quite undisturbed from human activities. The second problem was that, in the selected plot it was difficult to employ coordinates for sampling as such I had to figure out another way to sample the data which was done through a random number of steps and compass bearings. The other issue was taking a bad decision of considering only 1 plot for sampling. Taking at least 2 or more plots under consideration would have given me a strong basis to compare and formulate a better explanation for my hypothesis. By the time I realized this, it was too already too late to go back.
Engaging in the practice of ecology has indeed altered my appreciation for how ecological theories are developed. I have realized how incredibly difficult this task is. A lot of dedication and determination is required to formulate a proper ecological theory. The most difficult aspects in the process of formulating an ecological theory is the replication and randomization of the samples collected. I understood this through this experiment. This course has greatly been an eye opener to me as I realized how difficult ecological researches are.