Results
Table 1, Initial temperature
Table 2, Dispersion of woodlice after 5 minutes
Table 3, Dispersion of woodlice after 15 minutes
Table 4, Dispersion of woodlice after 30 minutes
Analysis of Results
Chart 1
Chart 2
Chart 3
A majority of woodlice seem to be in the cooler part of the spectrum. There can possible be a correlation of temperature and woodlice density.
The closer to 1 or -1 the larger correlation the values of temperature and woodlice density have. In chart 1 and 3 there is a weak correlation, and in chart 2 there is none. This can be seen in the shape of the graph, as chart 2 is the only chart with a large outlier of woodlice in the warmer temperature zones.
Conclusion
The results indicated a weak correlation between temperature and woodlice density. They were more abundant in cooler regions of the box. Therefore they seem to prefer cooler temperatures within the range of 21°C-25°C. The hypothesis was incorrect and upon further study, it is apparent that as wood lice live in dark and moist habitat it is natural for it to be cool. Apparently woodlice can tolerate most temperatures between -5°C and 32°C
Evaluation
The independent variable fluctuated, and it might have been avoided by having let the heat lamp have more time to warm the inside of the box sufficiently. Also, the fluctuation could have been due to inaccuracy in the thermometers used. They were unreliable and shut down often by themselves in the middle of the experiment. This weakness was compensated by constantly noting the temperature while counting the woodlice. However, more reliable thermometers would be better. They could also have been better designed to be put down on a smooth surface and been easily read. The thermometers used were formed like sticks, so it was hard to place them in their zones without them falling down, or their number display being unreadable. They were primarily designed to be able to measure soil temperatures, so an air-specialized thermometer would be better. The range of temperature was perhaps too small for the woodlice and a more extreme range of temperature in 20°C-30°C might give clearer results. This would require a cooler room with a stable temperature of 20°C and a much more powerful heat lamp which could raise the temperature inside the box sufficiently. The number of woodlice was fairly small due to lack of available specimen, but to get sufficient result a larger population of woodlice would be needed. Around 20-30 woodlice would be sufficient to read their collective preference more clearly. The major weakness in this experiment was the ignored behavior pattern that woodlice have more specifically their tendency for positive thigmokenesis i.e will to have their body in contact with other objects. As the box contained moist paper towels there was a notable tendency for the woodlice to try to crawl under it. This might have had a large impact on their migration habits within the box as they would seek tight spaces more than a preferable temperature. Furthermore, there was not enough time to properly see if the woodlice would settle down and stop most movement in specific areas. Several hours would be needed to sufficiently observe what their favorite area in the box was. On a positive note, no woodlice were harmed while executing this experiment.
G.J.Mckenzie, Woodlice Homepage, Middleton Grange School,Christchurch NZ, accessed 2008-03-11
G.J.Mckenzie, Woodlice Homepage, Middleton Grange School,Christchurch NZ, accessed 2008-03-11