1. Welcome to Ecology Paul Cezanne

2. Bolinas Lagoon

3. Bolinas Lagoon Salt Marsh

4. Atlantic White Cedar Swamp

5. Green Oaks – South Prairie

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

7. 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

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

10. Easter Island

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

13. Spread of HIV in Russia

14. Rosy Periwinkle

15. Temperate Rain Forest

16. Biodiversity: The rivet hypothesis – Paul Ehrlich

17. Biodiversity: Passenger and crew hypothesis – Brian Walker

18. Shahid Naeem – Columbia University

19. The Ecotron

20. Aldo Leopold circa 1945

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

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

25. 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

26. Ecology is: A science of dependency A probabilistic science

27. The first ecologists?

28. Two Founders of Ecology Ernst Haeckel Eugene Warming

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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