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Transcript
Lecture 1 An introduction Principles of Ecology Eben Goodale College of Forestry, Guangxi University Today’s class • A mystery story: frogs with many feet! • Science is providing explanations for mysteries. • What is ecology? Some big picture ideas of ecology. • Information about our course • My background • Why do you want to study ecology? A mystery!(一个谜) In 1995, a school trip in Minnesota, USA found that 11 of 22 frogs they examined had major deformities.(畸形) News captured public attention: What was happening? More generally, why were Amphibian(两栖动物) populations declining? Early observations • Scientists started finding abnormalities back in the 1980’s. • Found that many frogs contained Ribeiroia ondatrae(寄 生虫), a trematode flatworm parasite(一种变形性吸血 寄生虫). • Produce cysts(生产囊肿) near developing limb buds… • An early paper suggests that making such cysts (inserting beads) leads to limb deformities. Observations and Experiment Pinpoint Ribeiroia(寄生性吸虫) • Johnson et al. 1999: – Surveyed 35 ponds, found only 4 with deformities, all those had the snail Helisoma tenuis, a host of Riberoira. – Controlled experiment in lab with different levels of Riberoira. Dashed line: frog deformities Full line: frog survival Field experiment shows that causes of deformities may be complex(复杂) • Could pesticides(农药) be playing a role? • Kiesecker et al. 2002 do experiment where frogs are measured for their susceptibility to Ribeiroia depending on pesticide levels in pond % Limb Deform 3 ponds Mass with pesticide, Of 3 ponds without. Frog In each pond, frogs Exposed or unexposed. ponds 3 ponds with without pesticide pesticide Black bars represent condition in which frogs exposed to Riberiroia And even more complexity… • Johnson et al. 2007 show that excess fertilizer leads to more algae more snails more Ribeiroia more frog deformities A case study to introduce our study of ecology • Science is about explaining mysteries. • Ecology is the science probing connections (or interactions(交互作用)) between organisms and their abiotic and biotic environment. Today’s class • A mystery story: frogs with many feet! • Science is providing explanations for mysteries. • What is ecology? Some big picture ideas of ecology. • Information about our course • My background • Why do you want to study ecology? The scientific method What’s wrong with this picture? Image from: http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/. Scientific method • Identify question – Why is this important to science / conservation / society / me • Make hypothesis(假设) – Hypothesis leads to specific predictions Methods(研究方法) • Gather data (experiment or observation) • Make conclusion • Communicate conclusion – Community involved in review process – Science progresses through individual researchers contributing to overall pool of knowledge (why do we want to do something novel?) Kinds of Studies • Descriptive. • Observational. Looking for correlation between different variables. • Experimental. Can more strongly suggest cause-and-effect. • Modeling. Which are scientific questions? • • • • Are patterns of evolution consistent with the presence of God? Do babies prefer Coco Puff cereal to Fruit Loops? Are the fulvettas (a type of bird) a good taxonomic category? How many days do baby Orange-bellied Quetzals spend in the nest before fledging? Take-aways: -Is the question testable? -Scientific questions not always very “heavy-weight”! -Some part of science is similar to other disciplines in that you need to make a reasonable argument (what is a good category? – it’s better than others) -Description is also part of science. Experiments: Some Important Components • Control Treatments (控制处理) • Assign Treatments at Random(随机分配) • Replication • Statistical Analysis % Limb Deform Mass Of Frog “X2 = 88.16, df = 3, P <ponds 0.001” 3 ponds with The chance of this result without pesticide occurring randomlypesticide is less in 1000 condition in Blackthan bars1represent which frogs exposed to Riberiroia Today’s class • A mystery story: frogs with many feet! • Science is providing explanations for mysteries. • What is ecology? Some big picture ideas of ecology. • Information about our course • My background • Why do you want to study ecology? A case study to introduce our study of ecology • Science is about explaining mysteries. • Ecology is the science probing connections (or interactions) between organisms and their abiotic and biotic environment. Why “ecology”? • Eco – from οίκος, oikos, "household" • Logy – λόγος, logos, "knowledge" Leafcutter Ants Nest And these homes, too… Big picture ideas (1) It is a science about many different levels of organization(生 态水平的组织) From Molles (2008) The Layers of Organization • What’s not ecology? Inside the individual: molecules organelles cells tissues organs The Layers of Organization • What’s not ecology? BUT ecology is related to these layers … Endosymbiotic theory Of eukaryote cell Lynn Margulis The Layers of Organization • What’s not ecology? BUT ecology is related to these layers … The ‘superorganism’ E. O. Wilson Individual Organism(个体生物) How is this organism’s behavior, morphology(形态 学), physiology adaptive to its environment? Deals with traits that the individual has, or behaviours it makes Population(种群) A population is a group of individuals of one species living together at the same time and place. How is the number and reproductive status of the population effected by the environment? Deals with the population … how large is it? How healthy is it? Species(物种) . All the individuals of all populations of a species. For our purposes, a species is a group of animals that is capable of breeding and producing fertile offspring Ernst Mayr, the “biological species act” Species interactions Specific interactions between species: Predator-prey interactions – food webs Competition among species Parasitism (one positively affected, one negatively affected) Commensalism (one positively affected, one not affected) Mutualism (both positively affected) Community ecology(群落生态 学) Now more interested in the diversity of species in any one place … why is it low in some places/times, higher at others? Now we’re beginning to compare different places (habitats or ecosystems) in the kinds of species present Ecosystem ecology(生态系统 生态学) Comparing places in overall function of the ecosystem (biomass made, nutrient cycling etc., fire resistance). Landscape ecology(景观生态 学) How different ecosystems interact on the landscape Global ecology Evaluating world-wide problems such as global warming Big picture ideas (2) It is a science that spans a huge range of spatial and temporal scales.(跨越时间和 空间的尺度) The Sahel A hive Big picture ideas (2) It is a science that spans a huge range of spatial and temporal scales. Diurnal vertical migration occurs in ocean every day Some ecologists are paleobiologists Big picture ideas (3) It is an applied science (这是一 门应用科 学), and it must be applied, NOW A restoration ecology class Our class Our learning objectives • To understand the principles of how organisms respond to your environments, populations grow and go extinct(灭 绝), species interact through food webs and mutualisms, communities are structured, and ecosystems work as systems, cycling nutrients and energy. • To learn about the environmental challenges that we will encounter in the coming century, and how ecological principles inform our solutions to mitigate and adapt to them. • To be able to describe the ideas behind mathematical ecological theories using graphs, and to appreciate their predictions and assumptions. • To sharpen listening skills, and interact in a classroom setting in English. Evaluation • Comprehension test: no score but let’s you and me assess better how well you’re comprehending lectures. • Midterm, final exam • Attendance(到场) • Participation(参与讨论) Schedule Lecture times: Date March 17 March 21 MAY APRIL March 24 Topic Introduction The Physical Environment and the World’s Biomes Will Include Comprehension Exam Readi ng 1 2, 3 Coping with Water, Temperature and Energy 4, 5 March 28 March 31 April 4 Evolution and Ecology; Life Histories Behavioral Ecology 6, 7 8 Population Distribution, Abundance, Growth and Regulation 9, 10 April 7 April 11 April 14 April 18 April 21 April 25 April 28 May2 Population Dynamics and Competition Midterm Exam Predation and Herbivory Other Species Interactions Holiday The Nature and Change in Communities Biogeography Species Diversity; Ecosystem Productivity 11, 12 13 14, 15 16, 17 18 19, 20 May 5 Energy Flow, Food Webs and Nutrient Cycling 21, 22 May 9 May 12 Conservation Biology Landscape and Global Ecology 23 24, 25 May 16 Final Exam Readings • Textbook (recommended) • Lecture Notes (required) • Primary readings or homework assignments (required) Cain, Bowman, Hacker Ecology 2014 (3rd Edition) Sinaeur Associates Most test questions will come from material covered in lecture and lecture notes. But there will be a few questions about primary readings, allowing you a choice in which you read. My background My teachers of ecology (your ‘grand-teachers’!) Bill Bossert Peter Ashton Sri Lanka Sinharaja World Heritage Reserve A lowland rainforest Image from Uromi Goodale Mixed-species flocks of birds Primary leader Secondary leader Following species Experiments on Alarm Calls Who Talks to Who? A twist to the story: drongo mimicry Image from Harsha Sathischandra Mimicry attracts other birds towards drongos; reforms flocks Drongos are multilingual The Crested Drongo: A vocal mimic Then turned to what mixedspecies flocking means to conservation Forest Buffer Behavior (communication) influences flock structure, flock structure influences community. Agriculture How do flocks respond to different levels of land-use? In China now for 2.5 yrs At Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, until October 2014. Continuing work on behavior, communities and conservation biology of birds. Why do I consider myself an ecologist Animal behavior. Behavioral ecology: the roles of behavior in adapting an animal to its environment Animal behavior Behavioral Ecology Why do you want to study ecology? What can we do with ecology? • Ecologists can be of many types, usually on one level of organization (“behavioral ecologist”, “community ecologist”, “ecosystem ecologist”). • They can be academic or engage in governmental or nongovernmental organizations. What can we do with ecology? • For example, ecologists work as: – In the park service, managing nature reserves. – In a public health institution, managing animalbourne diseases. What can we do with ecology? • For example, ecologists work as: – As a forester, assessing(评估) how best to manage succession after logging. – In fisheries, figuring out how many fish to take in order to have more the next year. What can we do with ecology? • For example, ecologists work as: – In private companies, providing reports about the ecological impact of proposed developments (“consulting”). – In schools and universities, teaching and research. There are many kinds of applications of ecology • Environmental science(环境科学). Ecology is a key component, of the interdisciplinary area of environmental science (along with chemistry, geology, engineering, geography and law) that strives to understand and correct human impacts on the biosphere. There are many kinds of applications of ecology • Conservation ecology. To preserve what we have. • Restoration ecology. To restore ecosystem function and biodiversity in highly disturbed areas • Resource economics. The study of efficient uses of natural resources. So why do you want to study ecology? Homework • Read through Syllabus and bring questions to class. • Review: Lecture 1 notes. • Primary literature: Scan through Kiesecker et al. (2002), particularly Figure 1. Be able to explain what experiment was done. What are the controls of this experiment (for pesticide, for Ribeiroia)? Key Concepts • Ecology is about connections among living organisms, and between them and their physical environment. • We use the scientific method to identify a question, test a hypothesis, gather data and communicate results. • Ecology as a science spans many levels of organization and scales in time and space. • Ecologists work in many sectors of the economy and ecology as a subject can prepare you for different careers.