1. (LSU BIOL 4253, Sections 1 & 2, Spring 2018)
Principles of Ecology
(LSU BIOL 4253, Sections 1 & 2, Spring 2018)
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Composite satellite image (“Blue Marble 2012”) from Wikimedia Commons

2. Dr. Kyle E. Harms A312 Life Sciences Annex kharms@lsu.edu
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K. Harms photo

3. Complex Causation of Amphibian Deformities & Declines
The Web of Life
Complex Causation of Amphibian Deformities & Declines
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This example is interwoven throughout Ch. 1 of the class textbook; it describes how a variety of links through the web of life have caused amphibian deformities and declines: pesticides and fertilizers; climate change; pathogens, parasites & predators…
Bowman, Hacker & Cain (2017), Fig. 1.13

4. What is Ecology? Ernst Haeckel
German scientist, philosopher, physician
“oekologie” – combined Greek words for “household” & “knowledge”
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Photo of Haeckel from Wikimedia Commons

5. What is Ecology? The scientific study of interactions among
organisms and their environments
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Ecology – environmental influences on individuals and their influences on the environment; population distribution and abundance; community structure; ecosystem function; etc.
K. Harms photo

6. Ecology is a Component of Environmental Science
Environmental Science – interdisciplinary field that draws
concepts, expertise, and tools from natural and social sciences
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Terrestrial and marine ecology, chemistry, physics, oceanography, economics, sociology, politics…
Map of seasonal Gulf Coast hypoxia – the “dead zone” – from Wikimedia Commons

7. Ecology Can Inform Environmentalism
Environmental Movement – "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"
Rachel
Carson
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Ecology should not be conflated with Environmentalism
Carson’s work spurred the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world [an American town devastated by chemical pesticides]… The people had done it themselves.”
Quote – Encyclopedia Britannica Online; photos of Carson and her 1962 book – Wikimedia Commons

8. Levels of Biological Organization
Principal realm
of Ecology
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Ecologists cover the entire range (e.g., behavioral ecology, chemical ecology, community ecology, physiological ecology, population ecology, etc.).
Ecology – environmental influences on individuals and their influences on the environment; population distribution and abundance; community structure; ecosystem function; etc.
See textbook pg. 10 – “These levels are nested within one another, in the sense that each level is composed of groups of the entity found in the level below it.”
Image from Wikimedia Commons

9. 50+ Years of Personal Ecological Research
(Rocky inter-tidal, coral reefs, tropical forests, etc.)
Joseph H. Connell
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Photo of Connell courtesy of Pete Green

10. Ecological Patterns Observations: Barnacle Inter-tidal Zonation
Semibalanus – Larger barnacle, lower in intertidal
Chthamalus – Smaller barnacle, higher in intertidal
Why?
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Bowman, Hacker & Cain (2017), Fig

11. Alternative Mechanistic Hypotheses
Natural ecological & evolutionary processes that
could have produced the patterns (i.e., cause-and-effect)
Barnacle Inter-tidal Zonation
Abiotic influences –
Differential physiological tolerances
to desiccation or submersion
Biotic interactions –
Interspecific competition
Predation (e.g., Thais snails prey
on Semibalanus)
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12. Barnacle Inter-tidal Zonation
Testable Predictions
Barnacle Inter-tidal Zonation
Abiotic influences –
Move barnacles outside current zones and
performance should decline
Biotic interactions –
Remove competition and zones should shift
Remove predators and zones should shift
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Each mechanistic hypothesis makes a testable prediction or predictions

13. Selected Experimental Results Barnacle Inter-tidal Zonation
The absence of competitors & predators produced
no change in upper distributions
For Chthamalus, removing Semibalanus increased downslope survivorship & distribution
For Semibalanus, removing Thais increased
downslope survivorship & distribution
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14. Mechanistic Explanation / Interpretation
Barnacle zonation
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Connell, Joseph H The influence of competition and other factors on the distribution of the barnacle Chthamalus stellatus. Ecology 42:
Connell (1961) Ecology, Fig. 5

15. Scientific Advancements
Observations
Jane Goodall
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Science is dynamic – our understanding of the natural world advances through scientific inquiry that takes many forms: observations, models, experiments.
Jane Goodall – First to document: (1) tool-use by a non-human animal in the wild; (2) hunting by chimps; etc.
Jane Goodall and chimp

16. Scientific Advancements Models (mathematical and computer)
Observations
Models (mathematical and computer)
(scaled to max. size attainable)
Population size
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Science is dynamic – our understanding of the natural world advances through scientific inquiry that takes many forms: observations, models, experiments.
For more detail see: May, Robert M Simple mathematical models with very complicated dynamics. Nature 261:
Per capita rate of increase
Chaotic population growth

17. Scientific Advancements
Observations
Models (mathematical and computer)
Controlled Experiments (e.g., laboratory, microcosm, mesocosm)
Please do not use the images in these PowerPoint slides without permission.
Science is dynamic – our understanding of the natural world advances through scientific inquiry that takes many forms: observations, models, experiments.

18. Scientific Advancements
Observations
Models (mathematical and computer)
Controlled Experiments (e.g., laboratory, microcosm, mesocosm)
Field Experiments
Please do not use the images in these PowerPoint slides without permission.
Science is dynamic – our understanding of the natural world advances through scientific inquiry that takes many forms: observations, models, experiments.
Myers, Jonathan A. & Kyle E. Harms Seed arrival and ecological filters interact to assemble high-diversity plant communities. Ecology 92:
Replicated fuel-manipulation treatments in Louisiana pine savanna; photo courtesy of Jonathan Myers

19. Scale in Ecology
“It is argued that the problem of pattern and scale is the
central problem in ecology, unifying population biology
and ecosystems science, and marrying
basic and applied ecology”
S. Levin (1992)
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Levin, Simon A The problem of pattern and scale in ecology. Ecology 73:
Photo of Levin from Princeton U.

20. Spatial & temporal patterns often change with the scale of measurement
Scale in Ecology
Spatial & temporal patterns often change with the scale of measurement
E.g., species-area relationship(s)
Focus
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“Focus” and “extent” from Willig et al. (2003), pg. 275: “The focus of a research design is defined by the inference space to which each datum applies, whereas the extent of a research design relates to the inference space to which the entire collection of data applies in an analysis.”
Willig, M. R., D. M. Kaufman & R. D. Stevens Latitudinal gradients of biodiversity: Pattern, process, scale, and synthesis. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 34:
Extent
Hubbell (2001) The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity & Biogeography, Fig. 6.2

21. Scale in Ecology
We seek mechanistic links among patterns and processes across scales
E.g., how can we extrapolate from one scale to another
(e.g., leaf-level gas exchange and photosynthesis 
forest productivity  global climate change)?
In other words, what are the relevant details?
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YouTube scaling animation “Cosmic Eye” (apparently credited to Uzay & Bilim).
Photos from Wikimedia Commons