Assignment #11 - Bootstrapping - 2019

Your goal in this assignment is to use bootstrapping of the data below to generate confidence intervals for the difference in two parameters. Specifically, you have collected data on the functional responses of two predators (lynx and coyote); the functional response describes how predation rates (prey killed / predator / day) change as a function of prey density (prey / ha). Typically, there is an asymptote to these functional responses - there are limits to the number of prey that a predator can kill regardless of prey density due to things like hunting time, being full, etc., You want to know if the estimated asymptote of the functional responses of the two predators are significantly different. You will assume that the functional responses are described by the Michalis-Menton equation for enzyme equations (common assumption). Using the code from previous classes and the incomplete code below, write a script file that conducts the bootstrapping to give you a confidence interval on the difference in asymptotes. Be sure to include comments in your script describing the steps. Also, include a comment in your results describing your results - what is the confidence interval for the difference in asymptotes and what's the p-value for a test that the asymptotes are significantly different. Send me your script when it is done.

Data to be analyzed

Excel file used to make the data (if you are interested and for truth)

Incomplete script to be completed

Bonus: can you think of a way you could do this analysis without bootstrapping?

Answer to Bonus - I'll provide access to this later....