Topics and Questions We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Reminder: Follow the correct formatting for all worksheets (12 pt font, double-spaced, do not include original questions BUT KEEP THE BULLET POINTS WITH THE QUESTION NUMBER). Incorrect formatting will result in a 5% penalty on this assignment.

Answer/address all of the following questions. You are creating an outline of your “Introduction” for your scientific paper. You are expected to paraphrase the literature that you read IN YOUR OWN WORDS, so… no quotations – try paraphrasing it! Include in-text citations after your bullet points. In all cases, we require that your work be typed. Finally, part of your grade for each question is based on how well you answered the question (e.g., 3 bullet points with vague information is not considered a good answer) and creativity. Plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in an automatic 0 on this assignment.

For each question, the required citations are the minimum and you can use more citations than listed (e.g., if the question is asking for 2 citations, you can cite more than 2 citations). HOWEVER, each question should have unique citations to meet the minimum reference requirement (i.e., find a new citation for Q#2 compared to Q#1); your "Literature Cited" section would thus have at least 8 unique references. However, you can still cite the same article multiple times across questions (e.g., after citing 2 unique articles for Q#3, you could also cite an article from Q#1 in the paragraph to strengthen your answer/content and thus have 3 citations total for Q#3). Peer-reviewed references can be from any year.

Over the next few weeks, your will be investigating this question: Does urbanization affect the life history of Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)?

1. List a minimum of 3 bullet points explaining why the study’s question is important. Cite at least TWO peer-reviewed scientific article (primary or secondary). Include in-text citations and add the full reference to the “Literature Cited” in Q#6. (14 pts)
•    Why is it important to study urbanization in population ecology?
•    You should also tie into why a reader should care about Eastern Mosquitofish in South Florida. Why is this fish species important?

2. List a minimum of 8 bullet points explaining what is already known about how urbanization affects the life history of animal and/or plant populations. Cite at least FOUR different examples from peer-reviewed scientific articles, of which AT LEAST TWO MUST BE A PRIMARY SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE. Include in-text citations and add the full references to the “Literature Cited” in Q#6. Hint: You do NOT have to find articles on mosquitofish populations! (40 pts)

3. List a minimum of 5 bullet points on our current knowledge about the normal life history of Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Cite at least TWO peer-reviewed scientific articles, of which AT LEAST ONE MUST BE A PRIMARY SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE. Include in-text citations and add the full references to the “Literature Cited” in Q#6. (20 pts)
•    Consider the following important life history traits: type of reproduction by mosquitofish, age of sexual maturity, number of offspring in a brood/clutch, number of times that females can reproduce in a lifetime, generation time, population size/growth rate

4. Based on the study question, write an ecological hypothesis. (3 pts)

5. Based on the readings that you completed to answer the above questions, write predictions for how urbanization will affect Eastern Mosquitofish: (i) number of offspring, (ii) generation time (average time until a female gives birth to one offspring), and (iii) population growth rate. (6 pts)

6. Write out your “Literature Cited” section here. Follow the formatting guidelines from the instructions section of this worksheet. (8 pts)