Download A New Year Greeting

Fundamentals of Ecology:
A Preface
Dann Sklarew, Ph.D.
Spring 2010
A New Year Greeting
by WH Auden (1969)
On this day tradition allots
to taking stock of our lives,
my greetings to all of you,
Yeasts,
Bacteria, Viruses,
Aerobics and Anaerobics:
A Very Happy New Year
to all for whom my ectoderm
is as Middle-Earth to me.
For creatures your size I offer
a free choice of habitat,
so settle yourselves in the zone
that suits you best, in the
pools
of my pores or the tropical
forests of arm-pit and crotch,
in the deserts of my fore-arms,
or the cool woods of my scalp.
A New Year Greeting
by WH Auden (1969)
Build colonies: I will supply
adequate warmth and
moisture,
the sebum and lipids you
need,
on condition you never
do me annoy with your
presence,
but behave as good guests
should,
not rioting into acne
or athlete's-foot or a boil.
Does my inner weather
affect
the surfaces where you live?
Do unpredictable changes
record my rocketing plunge
from fairs when the mind is
in tift
and relevant thoughts occur
to fouls when nothing will
happen
and no one calls and it rains.
A New Year Greeting
by WH Auden (1969)
I should like to think that I
make
a not impossible world,
but an Eden it cannot be:
my games, my purposive acts,
may turn to catastrophes
there.
If you were religious folk,
how would your dramas justify
unmerited suffering?
.
By what myths would your
priests account
for the hurricanes that come
twice every twenty-four hours,
each time I dress or undress,
when, clinging to keratin rafts,
whole cities are swept away
to perish in space, or the Flood
that scalds to death when I
bathe?
A New Year Greeting
by WH Auden (1969)
Then, sooner or later, will
dawn
a Day of Apocalypse,
when my mantle suddenly
turns
too cold, too rancid, for you,
appetising to predators
of a fiercer sort, and I
am stripped of excuse and
nimbus,
a Past, subject to
Judgement.
Lesson learned?
Auden shows ecology is as close
as our nose (if not closer)…
but what exactly IS ecology?
And how can you become wise to its ways
in our few short weeks together?
(Hint: Go check out http://biol607001sp10.pbworks.com
and the syllabus link from there too, then come back.)
Elements of Ecology, 7th Ed. Overview
1 for each of these 8 units:
I. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
II. THE ORGANISM AND ITS ENVIRONMENT
III. POPULATIONS
IV. SPECIES INTERACTIONS
V. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
VI. ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
VII. BIOGEOGRAPHICAL ECOLOGY
VIII. HUMAN ECOLOGY
+ 1 session ea. for mid-term and final showcase
How will learning be assessed?
• CO-OP: Collaborative problem-solving
environment, where you construct your own
knowledge; prof serves as facilitator and guide
• METRICS: Explicit scorecards (rubrics) in syllabus
• EVALUATION: Rating and feedback on activities
provided by professor -- and often by peers too
• CHANGE: Pre- and post-tests assess personal and
collective learning
• IMPACT: Complete course with useful skills and
products meaningful to you and your lives.
Case-in-Point: Pre-test Results
Note: These are actual questions
from prior mid-term and final exams, along
with my scores [and parentheticals] for your
answers.
Now, about you…
•
•
•
•
Ecological interests?
Confident about ecological knowledge?
Knowledgeable about ecology?
Ecological footprint of graduate study?
Now, about you...
Microbiomes and
endophytic habitats
Fundamental
understanding (x2)
Human-nature interactions
Aquatic ecology
Basic understanding (x2)
Inform green engineering
Coral reef
threats/indicators
Understand interactions
Eco-wise policy-admin
Eco-wise politics
Marine ecology framework
Interactions, resilience,
restoration
Natural resources, land-use
Now, about you…
Of 15 students to respond to the pre-test:
Confidence in understanding of Ecology?
Extremely
Very
Somewhat
Not at all
I. The Physical Environment
Q1. Describe four abiotic factors affecting diversity of
aquatic ecosystems.
• Ave. score: 3.0/4.0 (Well done!)
• Best answer in class:*
“salinity, temperature, wave action, bottom type”
• Dr. Dann asks:
•
•
•
•
4 items identified, but how affecting was not described.
What do we call the bottom of a body of water?
Is that substrate ever alive?
What else is a critical abiotic factor for aquatic life?
II. The Organism and its Environment
Q2. Illustrate 2 potential ecological tradeoffs and how a dog's adaptations
have allowed it survive in the context of these tradeoffs.
•
Ave. score: 1.5/4.0
•
Best answer in class:*
–
–
–
“Length of parental care and age of sexual maturity are two potential ecological
tradeoffs.”
[Parental investment vs. puppy survival:] “Dogs care for their puppies for a period of
time after birth. This costs time and energy but makes the pups more likely to survive
once they are on their own.”
[Sexual maturity/reproduction rate vs. longevity:] “Dogs reach sexual maturity around
one year of age. While this may seem relatively early, it suggests that mortality rates
are highest for older animals, compared to juveniles. Therefore, it is advantageous for
dogs to reproduce earlier rather than later in their lives.”
* Good, but note: make tradeoff (X vs. Y) & “spot” for dogs’ adaptation explicit.
X
Y
III. Populations
• Q3. Describe the equation for the exponential model of
population growth, defining the variables and constants
used, and stating the shape of the resulting curve of
population size over-time.
• Ave. score: 1.2/4
• Best answer in class:* “N = No. e(to the power)rt
•
•
•
•
No is the initial population
N Population at a time t
e base of natural log
r is the rate of increase.
• It is some what like a 'J' shape or a tick mark shape: ✓ (no
negative slope)”
* Dr. Dann adds: e is an irrational constant [like extremism], approx. 2.718281828.
IV Species Interactions
Q4. State 2 possible outcomes of competition between 2
species and conditions under which each is obtained.
•
Ave. score: 2.7/4.0
•
Best answer in class:*
1.
2.
“One possible outcome of competition between two species is the ability to live
in the same ecosystem while adapting to take advantage of slightly different
niches so they are no longer in direct competition with each other.
“Another possible outcome is for one species to out-compete the other and
force the other species out of the habitat all together which occurs when one of
the species is more strongly adapted to the ecosystem and the second species
is unable to adapt quickly enough to compete. One species prevails and the
other becomes extinct.”
* Dr. Dann adds: So, either co-existence (win-win) or elimination (win-lose). Note
that one species can migrate, adapt to a new niche or – like coral, beavers,
astronauts and other “ecosystem engineers” – create their own!
V. Community Ecology
Q5. In your own words, explain each of the following [4]
ecological terms…
•
Ave. score: 1.4/4.0
•
Best answer in class:*
1.
“Allometry: relating an organism's individual traits or characters with
its size.
2.
Secondary succession: The establishment of a new ecological
community in a place that once had life on it but has been destroyed.
3.
Ecotone: A transition zone between two separate or distinct
ecosystems
4.
Climax: The last stage in ecological succession where the stability of
the ecosystem is achieved.”
* Dr. Dann adds: “One of these things is not like the others…”
which term is unrelated to community ecology?
VI. Ecosystem Ecology
Q6. Describe how consumption efficiency relates to energy
flow in an ecosystem, as well as how it varies in detrital
vs. grazing food chains.
•
Ave. score: 0.7/4.0 (Y’all bombed this one.)
•
Best Answer in class:*
“Efficient consumers use a larger amount of the energy available
in their food supply so more energy is conserved from one
consumption level to the next in the ecosystem. Detrital food
chains are more efficient than grazing food chains because they
use the energy that would otherwise go unused by organisms
solely feeding on primary producers.”
Dr. Dann adds: This description of consumption efficiency is as
close as any came to correct… (make sure you know correct one!)
So, to which food chain do we humans belong? (And why?)
VII. Biogeographical Ecology
Q7. Explain the meaning and significance of “compensation
point” and the role it plays in structuring aquatic
ecosystems. For which of {lakes, streams, rivers,
oceans} is it most & is it least important?
•
Ave. score: 0.5/4.0 (Ugh. Even worse than Q6…)
•
Best answer in class:*
“The compensation point is the depth at which a plant can grow in
water.
It is least important in streams and most important in oceans.”
* Dr. Dann notes: Good definition. For assessment, be sure to consider respiration,
photosynthesis, and covey why you think it’s most/least important for your choice
of water bodies. (No room to give all that on pre-test, though, I know…)
VIII. Human Ecology
Q8. Discuss at least 2 expected impacts that humaninduced climate change may have on one of the
following ecosystem services:
food from coral reef OR food from domesticated crops.
Clarify whether increased CO2 &/or air temperature is
the primary factor contributing to each impact.
• Ave. score: 2.5/4.0
• Most succinct of several great answers students provided:*
– “Food from domesticated crops can be damaged by floods and
strong storms, which occur more regularly with higher air
temperatures in certain regions.
– Increased air temperatures could also result in decreased rainfall
within a region, which would result in insufficient water resources
available to grow crops. ”
Dr. Dann asks: Well done on this one folks! (Should I make final Q harder?)
Re-cap
I. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
II. THE ORGANISM AND ITS ENVIRONMENT
III. POPULATIONS
IV. SPECIES INTERACTIONS
V. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
VI. ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
VII. BIOGEOGRAPHICAL ECOLOGY
VIII. HUMAN ECOLOGY
For each unit,
we’ll have explicit learning objectives
upon which to focus, instead of digesting every word.
About you…
Of 15 students to respond to the pre-test:
Confidence in understanding of Ecology?
0
3
2
4 Extremely
3 Very
2 Somewhat
1 Not at all
10
An eco-knowledgeable Irony…
• 2 of 2 students with lowest ave. pre-test scores (<1)
rated themselves “somewhat confident” (2)
• Confidence varied (1-3) for 3 students with
highest ave. scores (2.0-2.9)
• No one got more than 3 of 8 pre-test questions
completely correct:
– The 2 “very confident” students ea. had 1-2 questions
completely correct (4/4).
– The 10 “somewhat confident” students had 0-3 completely
correct
– All 3 “not at all confident” students had 1-3 questions
completely correct.
THUS:
Your confidence does not match your competence - yet!
More about you…
12 of 15 responding students drive to campus:
MPG
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
MIA: 1 walker, 1 0
transit, & 1 out-ofregion student
5
10
15
20
25
1-way Distance Commute to Mason (miles)
30
Human ecology meets economics:
• Ave. 1-way trip to Mason (miles):
• Ave. MPG:
• Thus, gallons of gas per 2–way trip:
– In dollars, about (50% of subway ride?):
– In greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2e**):
Across 15 weeks x 15 students (gallons):
– In dollars:
– In GHG emissions (kg CO2e):
vs. est. Dist. Ed. electricity, in dollars:
– in kg CO2e**
13*
26*
1
$2.50
9.25
225
$563
2,081
$14 (2.5%)
562 (27%)
* Exact same as face-to-face 607 section in fall 2009!
** Electricity usage estimates and CO2 equivalent (CO2e) conversion factors
courtesy of Erik Tucker, BIOL/EVPP607 semester project, Summer 2009
(If you want to re-assess electricity use for our class, please let Dr. Dann know!)
SO WHAT???
Human ecology of hydrocarbons
• Each driver’s semester-long commute produces on average 138.7 kg CO2e.
• Average human respiration produces about 145.6 kg CO2e per year.*
• So, for a weekly face-to-face section this semester, our car exhaust alone
emits almost as much CO2e as we each exhale in an entire year!
• This exemplifies the disproportionate impact of each of our individual
activities on local through global ecological scales.
• Without ecologically-conscientious decisions and actions, we collectively
threaten individual organisms, populations, species, ecological
communities, ecosystems and potentially our entire planet’s life support
system.
(That’s a key sub-text for our semester together…)
* Source: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread278647/pg1
So, don’t hold your breath…
… because here we go!
Please do
Questions?
before next
[email protected]
GOOD
LUCK!!!
Monday
the
 What is ecology?
or skype
jendann
tasks that I
 Web site and syllabus preview
will score!
 Review of Pre-Test / Overview of Course
The rest of the Session 01 Plan:
☐Self-introductions and nature journal Q&A
☐Review our learning objectives (LOs) for this session
☐Focusing on LOs, read text (Smith & Smith 2008) Chapters 1-4 and Levin (1992)
☐A. SCORED: Do one or more session 01 activities (ID which you want scored),
explicitly citing any external sources you use (4 pts.)
☐B. Post 2-3 potential course project ideas or questions which might interest yo
☐C. N/A (No exam related assignments this week.)
☐D. SCORED: Submit your first annotated bibliography entry to our Zotero
groups library (1 pt.)
Session 01 Learning Objectives
•
01-1. Distinguish environmentalism and ecology. [EoE Ch. 1] (Dr. Dann)
•
01-2. Apply the scientific method to explain an ecological curiosity or pattern observed in
nature. [Ch. 1] (Everyone)
•
01-3. Characterize the spatial, temporal and organizational range and resolution of ecology's
focus (Individual study)
•
01-4. Examine how ecological patterns and variability change with the scale of description. [Levin 1992]
(LEAD?)
•
01-5. Discriminate how mechanisms operating at different scales of time, space and organization affect a
pattern we observe in nature. [Levin 1992] (LEAD?)
•
01-6. Recognize key climatic factors affecting organisms and ecosystems, and illustrate these factors’
natural variability (periodic, episodic, aperiodic and sustained) vs. what is "normal.” [Ch. 2] (LEAD?)
•
01-7. Explain the key abiotic factors & constraints affecting diversity of patterns observed in aquatic
ecosystems. [Ch. 3] (LEAD?)
•
01-8. Explain the key abiotic factors & constraints affecting diversity of patterns observed in terrestrial
ecosystems. [Ch. 4 ] (LEAD?)