The Ecological Factors in the Different Canary Islands - Coursework Example

REFERRAL WORK By Location Short Overview of my Project I carried out an experiment to establish whether ecological factors in different Canary Islands were responsible for the morphological changes exhibited by Chalcides lizards. Notably, these lizards have been described as inhabiting the Canary Islands. The study took into consideration the fact that the four Canary Islands exhibited different climatic conditions. Therefore, my study specifically sought to determine the type of scales and body dimensions exhibited by lizards in each of the four islands. The research relied on the fact that previous researchers had highlighted a possible relationship existing between the ecological characteristics of the Canary Islands and the morphological characteristics exhibited by the Chalcides lizard. Such previous researches have associated the differences in morphology exhibited by the lizards as occurring due to adaptation to the varied environmental conditions or because of the nutrients available in the four Canary Islands. In a bid to ascertain whether this relationship between the morphological characteristics of lizards and the environmental conditions in the different islands existed, 296 lizards were identified as an effective sample for the study. Notably, the 296 lizards used in the study were obtained from the four islands which exhibit varied environmental conditions. The lizards were transferred to a laboratory and effective preservation occurred in preparation for the statistical analysis. Notably, there was a possibility that lizards from the same island would have different morphological characteristics. Among the 296 lizards, 88 were from the La Gomera islands while 74 were from the Gran canary. In addition, 85 lizards were collected from the Tenerife Island and the remaining 47 were obtained from El Hiero Island. The study observed body scalation and body dimensions and went forth to use the one way ANOVA to analyse the covariance between the morphological traits and the environmental conditions in each island. There was evidence that there is an existing correlation between the two variables in the different Canary Islands. Practical/ Logistic Problem Hindering the Project Evidently, obtaining a sufficient sample size of the four Canary Islands, considering the geographical condition of each was a major challenge. This required both time and adequate resources as well an effective identification and collection technique of the Chalcides lizards. Moreover, the climatic conditions of the islands were not favourable for the researcher and the research required resilience if an effective sample size was to be obtained. Therefore, this phase of the research took a longer period that expected. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Project and the Report Strengths In my opinion, my project and report exhibit certain outstanding strengths and some weaknesses that needed to be addressed. One of the strengths is the fact that, I was able to establish a researchable topic with both dependent and independent variables. After formulating the research question, I formulated an effective hypothesis and sought to either reject it or accept it using the statistical data. Considering the geographical location of the Canary Islands, I was able to obtain an efficient sample size which represented the four islands effectively. An effective methodology was used for the research. This was observational research, which is the approved methodology in these kinds of researches. After data collection, I successfully carried out a one way ANOVA analysis that could help me determine the existing correlation between my independent and dependent variables. Usually, statistical analysis is the most involving phases after data collection and requires a high level of caution. In the case of my report, it is presented in the appropriate scientific format and uses the relevant academic language. All conclusions made in the project only relied on the findings from the research and secondary data was used to support the findings. Moreover, my study gave consideration to the fact that lizards from the same canary island exhibited varied morphological adaptations. Weaknesses One of the weaknesses which came evident in this research was the fact that the lizards were observed within a laboratory setting contrary to their natural environmental conditions. Definitely, this affected the validity and the credibility of the results obtained because the observed morphological traits may have been triggered by other factors and not the described environmental conditions in the island. Although 296 was a remarkable sufficient sample size for the research, a larger sample size was required if the findings had to be applied in global populations. How I Would Improve my Report if Given a Limited Time and Resources Although I did my best within the defined timeline, and using the available resources for my research, there are certain aspects of my project and report that could have been improved if granted limited time and resources. One of the obvious ones is the fact that I would select a larger sample size for use in the research to increase the validity of my findings as well as the credibility of my report. Increasing the sample size in any research is recommendable as long as there is sufficient time and adequate resources. However, the study I carried out was limited to a small sample size because of some limiting factors such as time and resources. Moreover, if there was a limited time and resources available for the project, I would have observed the lizards in their natural habitat. This would eliminate the preservation of laboratory specimens and would ensure that the observed morphological changes were resulting from the environmental conditions of the different islands. Moreover, more time and resources would allow for the observation of a diverse range of characteristics exhibited by the Chalsides lizards. This is because the current project that I carried out only focused on two morphological adaptations namely body scalation and dimensions. In a bid to obtain more reliable results, the project would rely on the observation of numerous traits over a long period of time if an unlimited time and resources were available for the research. A more detailed statistical analysis would need to be conducted to yield valid data for the project. This would mean that, additional statistical methodologies would be used to establish the existing correlation between the morphological characteristics of the lizards and the climatic conditions of the island. These changes would serve to improve my project yielding a reliable report of the findings. Read More