Biology 274: General Ecology
Lecture 1: Introduction
Today
• Course overview and course requirements
• What is ecology?
• Some key terms
• The scientific method in ecology
Instructor Information
Dr. Gilene Young Student hours (Zoom & office):
gyoung@[Link] M 1:20-4:50 pm
Use this freely! T & Th 11:45 am-12:45 pm
Course Overview
• Syllabus
• Schedule
• Canvas
• Textbook: 3rd edition
or newer
Grading
Assignment Point Value
Lecture Exercises (best 12 of 13, at 3 points each) 36
Review Quizzes (14 at 3 points each) 42
Midterm Exams (3 at 100 points each) 300
Final Exam 100
Lab Reports (best 7 of 8, at 10 points each) 70
Research Project (40 pts paper, 10 pts presentation) 50
Field Journal 25
Taxonomic Field Collection 20
TOTAL 643 points
Topics You Should Already Know
• Population genetics and microevolution
What is evolution?
What are some mechanisms that cause it?
• Basic plant and animal physiology
– Metabolism
– Digestion
– Homeostasis
• Systematics and classification of plants and animals
What is Ecology?
• Scientific study of
interactions between
organisms and their
environments
What is Ecology?
• Interactions with:
– Physical aspects of environment (abiotic factors)
Identify some
abiotic factors
What is Ecology?
• Interactions with:
– Other organisms (biotic factors)
Identify some
biotic factors
What is Ecology?
• Ecological interactions can
be complex
Atlantic sharks
Proposed
trophic Cownose rays
cascade:
Scallops
Heithaus et al. (2008) Trends in Ecol. & Evol.
What is Ecology?
Location
• Ecological interactions can Timing doesn’t doesn’t
be complex correlate correlate
Different
trend
Grubbs et al. (2016) Scientific Reports
What is Ecology?
• Focused on patterns of distribution and abundance
What is Ecology?
• Hierarchical structure
– Different temporal scales
(Björkman and Powles 1981)
What is Ecology?
• Hierarchical structure
– Different spatial scales
Define each term.
What might determine
population distribution
and abundance?
What is Ecology?
What do you think are some current issues being
addressed in applied ecology?
Some Key Terms
• Fitness – the relative success rate at which a trait is
transmitted to future generations
fitness = survival + reproduction
• Adaptation – a heritable trait that increases fitness
• Evolution – change in the genetic characteristics of a
population over time
Which mechanism of evolution makes adaptations spread?
How does it do so?
The Scientific Method
• Science – a way of
understanding the
natural world based
on the accumulation
of observable,
testable, and
repeatable evidence
– Iterative
– Self-correcting
– Consensus-based
The Scientific Method
• Methods in ecology:
– Natural history
– Theory and modeling
– Experimentation and hypothesis testing
Travel time
The Scientific Method
• Methods in ecology
Compare observational
studies versus controlled
experiments.
The Scientific Method
• Methods in ecology
– Controls Define each
Why is each important?
– Replication
– Randomness