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The Logic of Ecological Experiments: A Case History From Studies of the Distribution of Macro-Algae on Rocky Intertidal Shores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

A. J. Underwood
A. J. Underwood
Affiliation:
Institute of Marine Ecology, Zoology Building, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Extract

The various steps involved in experimental investigations of the causes of observed ecological patterns are examined. A sequence of different steps (observation, model, hypothesis, null hypothesis, test) is identifiable. The logical necessity for distinguishing and evaluating each of these steps is discussed. The potential usefulness of explicit recognition of the logical relationships between the various parts of the procedure is evaluated by reference to experimental studies to determine the causes of boundaries of vertical distribution of macro-algae in rocky intertidal habitats. Pitfalls of experimental procedures can sometimes be recognized as failures in the logical progress from one part to the next in the sequence of steps necessary in any study. Particularly important is the early recognition of the existence of many, potentially conflicting, but sometimes interactive, models to account for any observed pattern. Greater attention to the relation-ships between the components of the logical structure of an experimental study might aid in reduction of errors in the design, analysis and interpretation of ecological experimental data.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 71 , Issue 4 , November 1991 , pp. 841 - 866
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1991

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