Introduction to Ecology Part 1 – Designed & Edited by Joe Naumann 1.
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Transcript of Introduction to Ecology Part 1 – Designed & Edited by Joe Naumann 1.
The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals for the day
2
The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals for the day
3
Ecology vs Ecology vs EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism
Scientific societies and activist groups – often in conflict with each other
Earth First, Greenpeace, and WWF
Industry – e.g., GMO’s: Pandora’s box or chicken little?
Individuals vs populations◦ Hawaii: PETA vs Nature
Conservancy
or
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Hawaii: PETA vs Nature Hawaii: PETA vs Nature ConservancyConservancy
Feral pigs (Sus scrofa)◦Integral part of native
Hawaiian Luau culture ◦Introduced by both
Polynesians and Europeans (2 spp)
◦Rooting destroys many plants
◦Create wallows, water collects, and encourages mosquitoes to breed
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Hawaii: PETA vs Nature Hawaii: PETA vs Nature ConservancyConservancyNature Conservancy◦Attempting to
eradicate the pig from their lands
◦Uses ecological impact of pigs as justification for their removal
◦Capture through noose snare-trapping, as this is the easiest way to capture the animals
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Hawaii: PETA vs Nature Hawaii: PETA vs Nature ConservancyConservancyPETA
◦Recognizes the impact that these pigs have on the ecology
◦Snare-trapping is protracted, inhumane, and a painful way to kill them
◦Advocates for humane trapping and then quick kills
◦Ignores financial cost 7
Hawaii: PETA vs Nature Hawaii: PETA vs Nature ConservancyConservancyResolution?
◦ Still to be found◦ Nature Conservancy
continues to trapA few write-ups of
the controversy are available from the Honolulu Advertiser
A more general discussion of invasives in Hawaii is availble from USGS
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Key DistinctionsKey DistinctionsEcology is a science
◦Our focus in this course
Environmentalism is a cause◦With our without scientific backing
Conservation Biology is the integration of these two◦Using science to support a political
cause
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The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals for the day
10
History of Ecological History of Ecological ThoughtThoughtFrom Thoreau to
modern timesHistorically has been
literature-based appreciation of nature
Subsequently became more of a descriptive science
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Darwinian ReferencesDarwinian References“…how infinitely
complex and close-fitting are the mutual relations of all organic beings to each other and to their physical conditions of life.”◦Origin of Species
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The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought
Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals
13
Definition of EcologyDefinition of Ecology
“To determine the factors that have produced the present distribution and abundance of organisms”
◦ (Jonathan Krebs, 1972)
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Factors Influencing Factors Influencing Organismal Distribution and Organismal Distribution and AbundanceAbundance
Abiotic◦Climate◦Topography◦Latitude◦Altitude
Biotic◦Intraspecific
Interactions◦Interspecific
Interactions15
The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought
Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals
16
Scientific Method and Hypothesis Scientific Method and Hypothesis TestingTestingGoals:
◦Judge good science Hudson River PCB
dredging Electromagnetic
radiation and cancer Sea otters, killer
whales and overfishing
◦Do good science
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Goals of scienceGoals of scienceDescribe the patterns that are found
in the natural world◦Purely descriptive in nature◦Historically this was “ecology”, a.k.a.
naturalism Make up explanations and then stop there
Test Explanation of Patterns◦This is the major emphasis of most of
what we usually call “science”◦Key component: TEST these
explanations!How to test these explanations?
◦The Scientific Method 18
Methods of ExplanationMethods of ExplanationInclude those of descriptive scienceApproximately 11 StepsProcess is repeated many timesCan NEVER prove a hypothesis
◦Can only reject many, leaving one as best supported by the data
◦“Proof” is a common fallacyCenterpiece of this method are Hypotheses
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Types of HypothesesTypes of Hypotheses
Null hypothesis◦The hypothesis of no change◦Often abbreviated as Ho
Alternative hypotheses ◦Often abbreviated as Ha, Hb, etc.
◦All must be mutually exclusive (including the null)
◦We accept an Ha if Ho is first statistically rejected Which Ha to accept is determined by
trends in data 20
Scientific Method - Steps Scientific Method - Steps 1-51-51. Observe or suspect pattern 2. Posit cause or significance of
observed difference 3. Create answerable question
to explain pattern 4. Create testable hypotheses
◦ Null (Ho ) and alternate hypotheses (Ha)
5. Design experiment 21
Scientific Method - Steps 6-Scientific Method - Steps 6-1111
6. Collect data (descriptive stage) 7. Analyze data, primarily using
statistics 8. Evaluate hypotheses, reject Ho?
9. Make conclusions based on data
10.Note problems in current work11.Predict future directions for
research22
An Exercise…An Exercise…Recall an observation that you’ve
seen recently and think through how you would implement the above 11 steps
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Parts of a scientific reportParts of a scientific report
Title Abstract - an overall summary Introduction - background, question,
HasMethods - what we didResults - what we found, analyses
results Discussion - interpretations,
predictions Acknowledgements - who helped us References - who we cited 24
Transmission Methods in Transmission Methods in ScienceScience
Written report (articles, chapters, books)◦Traditional
Oral presentation ◦Commonly used for preliminary presentation of work to get feedback before writing it up
Poster ◦Visual summary of work - used at conferences
Web page ◦Can use a written report & make it interactive
25
How to Evaluate Science?How to Evaluate Science?Do the data address the question?Is there enough data to support the
claim?Has the study been replicated
elsewhere?Are alternative interpretations
considered?Is it peer-reviewed?Is it presented objectively?Are there real controls?
26
The Science of EcologyThe Science of Ecology
Differentiate Between Ecology and Environmentalism and Conservation Biology
Trace History of Ecological Thought
Define Ecology Scientifically Learn the Scientific Method Organization of Ecology
Goals
27
What is the Organization of What is the Organization of Ecology?Ecology?Ranges widely from individual to
biosphere studiesMost of ecology happens in the current time◦Proximate Explanations
Only a few fields (e.g., evolutionary ecology and paleoecology) are concerned with past environments and historical time◦Ultimate Explanations
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Proximate FieldsProximate FieldsEmphasis of this courseExamples, by scale
◦Population Growth rates, PVA, Population genetics,
Metapopulation analyses, etc.
◦Community Interspecific interactions, Environmental
impact statements, etc.
◦Ecosystem Energy, Matter, Nutrient flow, Pollution,
29
Ultimate FieldsUltimate FieldsEvolutionary Ecology
◦Using trees of relationship (phylogenies) to address ecological questions
◦E.g., evolution of swordtail length and preference in platys
Behavioral Ecology◦Comparing a few closely related species to
address ecological questionsPaleoecology
◦Attempting to recreate the ecology of ancient times
◦One of the goals is to recreate the ancient environment in which the lineages may have evolved
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