Friday, May 14, 2010

Your first ANOVA and post hoc I presume...

Direct Quote from a students field practical write up

"The result show that there is significance difference in the habitat (df = 5, F = 20.24, p = 0.004; Turkey, p = 0.006). The Turkey was used to compare the result between bush clump and grassland area (figure 2)"



Monday, May 10, 2010

I would never have guessed

The Species Area curve for Islands nearby the mainland are linear lines.

As opposed to?

There's a first time for everything

Despite being called Hitler by students in the past, I'd like to think that give them all a fair chance. For example, students are allowed to hand in a rough draft to get an idea of where they can improve (almost a "Here are free grades, come and take them!" opportunity yes?).

Today a student asked me to go over a draft for them. Fine, only the assignment was due a few hours BEFORE they asked me to go over a draft!

Surely they can't have the benefit of a rough draft if they are already late? Then again maybe they were counting on the draft to cover up for marks lost for handing in late. I told them I'd skim read the draft and return it to them with brief commentary (best compromise I thought)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Endemism takes on a new meaning....

This from respected scientific literature...

The knysna turaco is endemic to South Africa.
It is threatened in South Africa due to deforestation but considered not threatened in the rest of its range.

??!!
Has the meaning of endemic changed and nobody told me?