Much of ecology is focused on describing observed patterns and processes and erecting and testing plausible hypotheses that can explain these observations. The objective of your term paper is to explore a topic in more detail than can be covered in the lectures, and should be based on concepts presented in this class. The topic of the paper will vary with student interests, but must address fundamental mechanisms underlying the interactions between insects and their environment at a behavioral, organismal, population, community level. An ideal paper will (1) identify and describe a pattern or process of ecological significance providing evidence from the literature, (2) present a theoretical hypothesis (and its predictions) that provides a testable explanation for the pattern or process based on evidence from the literature, (3) describe one or more experimental tests of the theoretical hypothesis from the literature providing details of how it/they was conducted and how it/they either supported or refuted the hypothesis, (4) present some suggestions as to how the experimental test(s) could be improved in a future study. You must cite relevant literature that you find through Web of Science or google Scholar, and you must not use the experimental studies that are presented as examples in the lectures

Images/figures/tables can be included if they help to explain
the hypothesis or experimental test
For example

Hypothesis, pattern, test has to be like this
:
Hypothesis
Roff and Fairburn suggest a hypothesis for the wing dimorphism in insect species that involves a trade-off between flight and reproductive capability. Flight itself is metabolically demanding but possessing the flight muscles and wings also has a large metabolic cost. The short-winged morph that lacks the anatomy necessary for flight can input more energy into their reproductive needs.

Pattern: wing dimorphism is a trait found in many insects where individuals of the same species have one of two wing type; long wings or short wings. Individuals with long wings have fully developed flight muscles are able to fly, whereas individuals with shor wings have underdeveloped wing muslces and are flightless and therefore less dispersed.

Test: Studies to test the trade off between flight development and reproductive development are often done in females but are not as well studied in males. A study by ~~~