From 034acb71f4f9c65f7826d4d279081508685a6dfc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Holden Rohrer Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2021 17:20:24 -0500 Subject: wrote methods2.i --- src/methods2.i | 54 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 54 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/methods2.i (limited to 'src') diff --git a/src/methods2.i b/src/methods2.i new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4c5535a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/methods2.i @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +The materials were first purchased. +24 16oz deli containers were filled with 2.5 inches of play sand and one +antlion was placed in each container. +Every week, each plastic container (i.e. each antlion pit) was given a +small cricket +The crickets were purchased from a pet supply store. + +The remaining sand (100lbs) was spread into a $24"\times24"$ plastic +container at a depth of at least 2 inches. +A meter stick and a pen was used to make one-inch separated marks on the +vertical and horizontal axes of the box so the antlions' pits' locations +could be observed. + +Using the grid, each trial was started by distributing a group of +antlions in an array shape (the dimensions and populations of which are +in a table below), and equally spaced between eachother and the walls, +all inserted around the same time. +%%% Need to make that table +Antlions were transferred between the small containers and the +experimental environment by scooping them with a plastic spoon and +sifting the sand from the antlion with a sieve. +After the first and second days of each two-day trial, the coordinate +locations, diameters, and depths of each antlion pit were recorded for +later analysis. +After each trial, all living antlions were restored to their pits and +dead antlions disposed of. + +Further trials repeated these same protocols except with modified space +restrictions and several methods to disrupt potential communication +pathways. +Each disruption method was trialled with each space restriction, each +trial run over a two day period. +There are three different space restrictions and three different +disruption methods. +The space restrictions are $24"\times24"$ (the initial box size), +$16"\times16"$, and $12"\times12"$ (constructed in the original +container by cardboard and duct tape barriers). +The three disruption methods are ``trail erasure,'' ``fake pits,'' and +``artificial obstacles,'' making for nine trials in total. + +``Trail erasure'' will be, once a day, brushing away old trails in the +sand which antlions have dug out, in an effort to determine if the +reduction of this possible communication pathway will destabilize or +change the pit distribution. +``Fake pits'' will be sand scooped out in an inverse cone to mimic an +antlion pit, with two or three placed uniformly randomly once a day, +except when it would sit on top of an existing pit. +This will show if the antlions are intelligently avoiding pits or if +cannibalism creates the patterns that are observed in their +distribution. +``Artificial obstacles'' are small stones or hard plastic barriers with +a minimum height of .5in above the sand to determine if antlions are +aware of the shape of their settlement region and use that to organize +the group. -- cgit