Inhabitants of UNDERC

Biological Hierarchy

Individuals

Populations

Communities

Behavior

Demography

Diversity, Interactions

Individual Organisms: Behavior

• Variety of topics– Feeding– Fighting– Fornicating

• Habitat selection• Home range and

territoriality

• Sexual selection– Competition for mates– Mate choice

Population Ecology

• Demography– Births & deaths– Reproduction– Mortality

• Population growth models– Exponential growth

• r intrinsic rate of natural increase

– Logistic growth• K carrying capacity

• Life history strategies• r vs. K selection

– r selection• Many low quality offspring• “boom & bust” populations• Short lifespan• Highly productive

– K selection• Few high quality offspring• Populations fairly constant• Long lifespan• Highly efficient

– Continuum

Community Ecology

• Interactions between species– Competition– Predation – Parasitism– Mutualism

• Species diversity– Species richness– Evenness

• Patterns in species diversity– Theory of Island

Biogeography– View some habitats as

islands– Predict number of

species• Patch size• Isolation from other

patches

Arthropods

• Invertebrate vs. Insect• Entomology

Phylum ArthropodaClass Crustacea

Amphipoda, Isopods, fairy shrimp, Decopods (lobster)

Class DiplopodaMillipedes

Class ArachnidaScorpions, mites, ticks, spiders

Class InsectaOrder Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Plecoptera…

Insect general info

• 840,000 insects; ~104,000 in North America• Correct identification based on multiple

characteristics:– General appearance (size, shape, color)– Form of body parts (antennae, legs, wings, bristles, etc.)– Location (habitat type, region)– Age (larva vs. adult)

• Usually requires use of hand lens or dissecting scope to see pertinent features

Insect Diversity

• Diptera: flies• Coleoptera: beetles• Lepidoptera: butterflies &

moths• Hymenoptera: bees &

wasps• Odonata: dragonflies• Neuroptera: lacewings• Orthoptera: grasshoppers

& crickets• Ephemeroptera: mayflies

Why are insects so diverse?

• Small body size– Allows separation of populations– Allows subdivision of resources

• Short generation times (r-selection)– Allows quick response to environmental

heterogeneity– Allows quick recovery from disturbance

• Long history

Collecting

Lepidoptera

Neuroptera

Diptera

Coleoptera

Diptera (Tipulidae)

Insect Ecology Module

• Dr. Tony Joern, Kansas State University• Potential exercises– Patterns of moth diversity• Island biogeography• Blacklighting

– Distribution and abundance of an insect herbivore• Leaf miners• Abiotic and biotic factors

Phylum Chordata

• Several classes of fish– Jawless fishes – Sharks and rays– Bony fish

• Class Amphibia (frogs, toads, salamanders) • Class Testudines (turtles, tortoises) • Class Lepidosauromorpha (snakes, lizards) • Class Crocodilia (alligators, crocodiles) • Class Aves (birds) • Class Mammalia (mammals)

Class Amphibia• Two stage life cycle

– Aquatic larvae– Terrestrial adult

• Respiratory structures– Gills (larvae)– Lungs (adult)– Skin

• Mucous and poison skin glands• Three-chambered heart• Ectothermic• Egg-layers

– Must lay eggs in or near water• Major groups

– Caudata• Salamanders

– Anura• Frogs and toads

Reptiles

• Shelled amniotic egg• Skin hard and brittle• Many have bony plates under scales• Three-chambered heart• Ectothermic• Major groups– Turtles– Snakes

Herp Traps

• Pitfall traps– Useful for catching

terrestrial arthropods and small mammals

– Usually include drift fence to increase capture rate

Herpetology Module

• Dr. Michael Pfrender• Lectures on ecology and phylogeny of herps• Field exercises– Collection of herps from UNDERC lakes and vernal

ponds

Class Aves• Many orders of birds

– Columbiformes: doves and pigeons

– Falconiformes: diurnal birds of prey

– Apodiformes: hummingbirds– Gruiformes: cranes and rails– Piciformes: woodpeckers– Strigiformes: owls– Anseriformes: ducks and geese– Galliformes: chickens and

turkeys– Passeriformes: perching birds

Class Mammalia

• Many orders of mammals– Rodentia: rodents– Chiroptera: bats– Soricomorpha: shrews and moles– Carnivora: cats, dogs, bears, weasels, raccoons– Lagomorpha: rabbits– Artiodactyla: ungulates

Mist Nets

Mammal Traps

Sherman traps

Leg-hold traps

Tomahawk traps

Noninvasive Techniques

Bat Detectors

Tracking Stations

Scent Stations

ObservationTrailmaster Cameras

Ornithology/Mammalogy Module

• Lectures on ecology and conservation of birds and mammals

• Field exercises– Exciting morning exercies (birding, mammal trapping)– Fun night exercises (howl surveys, owling)– Radio telemetry

• Class projects– Bird diversity– Small mammal foraging behavior