Welcome to Ecology Paul Cezanne

Bolinas Lagoon

Bolinas Lagoon Salt Marsh

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp

Green Oaks – South Prairie

Course Webpage http://courses.knox.edu/bio317

What is ?

Ecology is: A science – and as such is concerned with: Attempting to describe and explain as objectively as possible patterns and processes that occur in the physical world Also attempts to make predictions about future events based on past history and current circumstances

Ecology is not: Environmentalism Environmentalism is a social-cultural movement dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment

Easter Island

Easter Island

Prairie in Illinois in 1820 – Prairie – Yellow Forest - Green

Spread of HIV in Russia

Rosy Periwinkle

Temperate Rain Forest

Biodiversity: The rivet hypothesis – Paul Ehrlich

Biodiversity: Passenger and crew hypothesis – Brian Walker

Shahid Naeem – Columbia University

The Ecotron

Aldo Leopold circa 1945

Aldo Leopold (on left) and forest service crew in 1911 in Arizona

Introduction to Ecology How do you know you are talking to a real ecologist? They always answer any question the same way. Rob Colwell

Introduction to Ecology How do you know you are talking to a real ecologist? They always answer any question the same way. “Well it depends…” Rob Colwell

Ecology is: A science of dependency A probabilistic science

Intermediate Number Systems

The first ecologists?

Two Founders of Ecology Ernst Haeckel Eugene Warming

Definitions of Ecology Haeckel – 1870 – By ecology we mean the body of knowledge concerning the economy of nature – the investigation of the total relations of the animal both to its inorganic and organic environment. Tansley – 1904 – (Ecology is) Those relations of plants, with their surroundings and with one another, which depend directly upon differences of habitat among plants. Elton – 1927 – Ecology is the new name for a very old subject. It simply means scientific natural history.

Definitions of Ecology cont’d Andrewartha – 1961 – Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms. Krebs – 1972, 2008 – Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. Townsend et al. 2003 – Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions that determine distribution and abundance.

The Fundamental Equation of Ecology – Harper 1977 Δ N = B – D + I – E Change in Number = Births – Deaths + Immigration - Emigration John L. Harper – 1925-2009

Some Definitions of Terms environment - biotic and abiotic factors that influence organisms organism - individual living thing population - many individuals of one species living close enough to each other to potentially interbreed community - all interacting populations in a particular habitat - includes plants, animals, decomposer microbes - pond or forest community - in practice often used when 2 or more species discussed

Some Definitions of Terms habitat - place where microbe, plant or animal lives ecosystem - community plus abiotic factors - nutrients, water, soil, etc. - pond ecosystem biosphere - the earth autecology - relation of individual organism to environment synecology - relation of populations or species to other populations or species