Making the right conclusions based on wrong results and small sample sizes: Interpretation of statistical tests in ecotoxicology

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Volumn 74, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 684-692

  Wang, Magnus ^a   Riffel, Michael ^a  

^a RIFCON GMBH   (Germany)

Author keywords

Monte Carlo simulation; Non parametric test; Parametric test; Pesticide risk assessment; Power analysis; Statistics

Indexed keywords

PESTICIDE;

ECOTOXICOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL RISK; MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS; PESTICIDE; POLLUTION EFFECT; RISK ASSESSMENT; STATISTICAL ANALYSIS;

ARTICLE; BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION; CONTROLLED STUDY; EARTHWORM; ECOTOXICOLOGY; GEOSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS; HONEYBEE; MONTE CARLO METHOD; NONHUMAN; NONPARAMETRIC TEST; PARAMETRIC TEST; POPULATION ABUNDANCE; POPULATION DENSITY; POWER ANALYSIS; RISK ASSESSMENT; RODENT; SAMPLE SIZE; WOODMOUSE;

ANIMALS; BEES; BIOMASS; DATA INTERPRETATION, STATISTICAL; ECOTOXICOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION; MICE; MONTE CARLO METHOD; OLIGOCHAETA; PESTICIDES; RESEARCH DESIGN; RISK ASSESSMENT; SAMPLE SIZE; STATISTICS, NONPARAMETRIC; TOXICITY TESTS;

EID: 79955524347     PISSN: 01476513     EISSN: 10902414     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2010.10.019     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Aupinel P., Fortini D., Michaud B., Medrzycki P., Padovani E., Przygoda D., Maus C., Charriere J.-D., Kilchenmann V., Riessberger-Galle V., Vollmann J.J., Jeker L., Janke M., Odoux J.-F., Tasei J.-N. Honey bee brood ring-test: method for testing pesticide toxicity on honeybee brood in laboratory conditions. Mitt. Julis Kühn-Inst. 2009, 423:96-102.
2. Canova L., Maistrello L., Emiliani D. Comparative ecology of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in two differing habitats. Z. Säugetierk. 1994, 59:193-198.
3. Crane, M., Matthiessen, P., 2007. An evaluation of the reproducibility and power of various endpoints in partial and fish full life cycle tests. OECD Report JA00043729, 88 pp.
4. Crawley M.C. Some population dynamics of the bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus and the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus in mixed woodland. J. Zool. 1970, 160:71-89.
5. Douglass R.J., Douglass K.S., Rossi L. Ecological distribution of bank voles and wood mice in disturbed habitats: preliminary results. Acta Theriol. 1992, 37:359-370.
6. Fairley J.S. A woodland population of Apodemus sylvaticus (L.) at Seaforde. Co. Down. Proc. R. Irish Acad. 1967, 65B:407-424.
7. Fairley J.S., Jones J.M. A woodland population of small rodents (Apodemus sylvaticus (L.) and Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber) at Adare, Co. Limerick. Proc. R. Irish Acad. 1976, 76B:323-336.
8. Fernandez F.A., Evans P.R., Dunstone N. Population dynamics of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae) in a Sitka spruce successional mosaic. J. Zool. Lond. 1996, 239:717-730.
9. Flowerdew J.R. The effect of supplementary food on a population of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). J. Anim. Ecol. 1972, 41:553-566.
10. Gibson D., Delany M. The population ecology of small rodents in Pennine woodlands. J. Zool. Lond. 1984, 203:63-85.
11. Gurnell, J., 1981. Woodland rodents and tree seed supplies. In: Chapman, J.A., Pursley, D. (Eds.), The Worldwide Furbearer Conference Proceedings, Donnelly & Sons Co., Falls Chard, Virginia.
12. Gurnell J. Woodland rodent communities. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1985, 55:377-411.
13. Hurlbert S.H. Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments. Ecol. Monogr. 1984, 54:187-211.
14. ISO (International Organization for Standardization), 1999. Soil quality-effects on of pollutants on earthworms. Part 3: guidance in the determination of effects in field situations, ISO no. 11268-3.
15. Kennedy J.H., Ammann L.P., Waller W.T., Warren J.E., Hosmer A.J., Cairns S.H., Johnson P.C., Graney R.L. Using statistical power to optimize sensitivity of analysis of variance designs for microcosms and mesocosms. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2009, 18:113-117.
16. Lachin J.M. Introduction to sample size determination and power analysis for clinical trials. Control Clin. Trials 1981, 2:93-113.
17. Le Louarn H., Schmidtt A. Relations obersevees entre le production de faines et la dynamique de population du mulot. Apodemus sylvaticus L. en foret de Fontainebleu. Ann. Sci. For. 1972, 30:205-214.
18. Leigh Brown A. Genetic changes in a population of fieldmice (Apodemus sylvaticus) during one winter. J. Zool. 1977, 182:281-289.
19. Limpert E., Stahel W.A., Abbt M. Log-normal distributions across the sciences: keys and clues. BioScience 2001, 51:341-352.
20. Marvier M. Improving risk assessment for nontarget safety of transgenic crops. Ecol. Appl. 2002, 12:1119-1124.
21. Mermod C. Ecologie et dynamique des populations de trois rongeurs sylcicoles. Mammalia 1969, 33:1-57.
22. Montgomery W.I. Population structure and dynamics of sympatric Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae). J. Zool. Lond. 1980, 192:351-377.
23. Muldowney J., Curry J.P., O'Keeffe J., Schmidt O. Relationships between earthworm populations, grassland management and badger densities in Coutry Kilkenny, Ireland. Pedobiologia 2003, 47:913-919.
24. Muller K.E., Benignus V.A. Increasing scientific power with statistical power. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 1992, 14:211-219.
25. OECD, 2006. Current approaches in the statistical analysis of ecotoxicity data: a guidance to application. OECD Series on Testing and Assessment, No. 54, OECD, Paris, 147 pp.
26. Perry J.N., Ter Braak C.J., Dixon P.M., Duan J.J., Hails R.S., Huesken A., Lavielle M., Marvier M., Scardi M., Schmidt K., Tothmeresz B., Schaarschmidt F., van der Voet H. Statistical aspects of environmental risk assessment of GM plants for effects on non-target organisms. Environ. Biosaf. Res. 2009, 8:65-78.
27. Peterman R.M. Statistical power analysis can improve fisheries research and management. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1990, 47:2-15.
28. Prasifka J.R., Hellmich R.L., Dively G.P., Higgins L.S., Dixon P.M., Duan J.J. Selection of nontarget arthropod taxa for field research on transgenic insecticidal crops: using empirical data and statistical power. Environ. Entomol. 2008, 37:1-10.
29. Randolph S.E. Seasonal dynamics of a host-parasite system: Ixodes trianguliceps (Acarina, Ixodidae) and its small mammal host. J. Anim. Ecol. 1975, 44:425-449.
30. Sachs L. Angewandte Statistik. 2002, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 846 pp. 10th ed.
31. Sokal R.R., Rohlf F.J. Biometry: The Principles and Practices of Statistics in Biological Research 1995, W.H. Freeman and Co., New York, 887 pp. third ed.
32. Steidl R.J., Hayes J.P., Schauber E. Statistical power analysis in wildlife research. J. Wildl. Manage. 1997, 61:270-279.
33. Stoddart D.M., Smith P.A. Recognition of odour-induced bias in the live-trapping of Apodemus sylvaticus. Oikos 1986, 46:194-199.
34. Tanton M.T. Problems of live-trapping and population estimation for the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.). J. Anim. Ecol. 1965, 34:1-22.
35. Tattersall F.H., MacDonald D.W., Hart B.J., Johnson P., Manley W., Feber R. Is habitat linearity important for small mammal communities on farmland?. Ecology 2002, 39:643-652.
36. Tattersall F.H., Macdonald D.W., Hart B.J., Manley W. Balanced dispersal or source-sink-do both models describe wood mice in farmed landscapes?. Oikos 2004, 106:536-550.
37. Tattersall, F.H., Tew, T.E., MacDonald, D.W., 1998. Habitat selection by arable wood mice: a review of work carried out by the Wildlife Conservation Unit. In: Proceedings of the Latvian Academic Science B, vol. 52, pp. 31-36.
38. Vickers A.J. Parametric versus non-parametric statistics in the analysis of randomized trials with non-normally distributed data. BMC Med. Res. Methodol. 2005, 5:35.
39. Watts C.H. The regulation of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) numbers in Wytham woods, Berkshire. J. Anim. Ecol. 1969, 38:285-304.
40. Weyers A., Römbke J., Moser T., Ratte H.T. Statistical results and implications of the enchytraeid reproduction ringtest. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36:2116-2121.