1. Environmental Studies 100 Environmental Ecology Lecture: M,W,F 9-9:50am, Buch 1930 Sophie Parker Office hours: M 10-12am, Girvetz 2307 Teaching Assistants: Theresa Nogeire & Kevin Pettway For today: Course guidelines, and expectations Course overview and introduction to ecology

2. Announcements, guidelines, and expectations Add codesAdd codes go to your registered sectiongo to your registered section Overview of syllabusOverview of syllabus Grading breakdownGrading breakdown attendance is part of participation in sectionattendance is part of participation in section questions? ask TA’s firstquestions? ask TA’s first WritingWriting assignmentsassignments guidelines for good writingguidelines for good writing Academic HonestyAcademic Honesty

3. What is ecology? oikos: house (or environment) logos: the study of How is it different from environmentalism?

4. Ecology vs. Environmentalism Ecology is a scienceEcology is a science “Relationships of living things to one another and their environment”“Relationships of living things to one another and their environment” Scientific methodScientific method

5. Ecology vs. Environmentalism Environmentalism is a human concernEnvironmentalism is a human concern Public arenaPublic arena Degradation of the environmentDegradation of the environment Endangered tigers DDT in environment Lead poisoning Nuclear waste Global warming Ecology is a scienceEcology is a science “Relationships of living things to one another and their environment”“Relationships of living things to one another and their environment” Scientific methodScientific method

6. In this course we will focus on the science of ECOLOGY

7. Observation vs. Experimentation Observation: inductive approach Observation: inductive approach See patterns in the field See patterns in the field Strength: grounded in reality Strength: grounded in reality Weakness: mechanistically weak Weakness: mechanistically weak Experimentation: deductive approach Experimentation: deductive approach Manipulate system by creating experiments Manipulate system by creating experiments Strength: control variables Strength: control variables Weakness: not realistic Weakness: not realistic

8. The Scientific Method QuestionQuestion Hypothesis formationHypothesis formation Hypothesis testingHypothesis testing Data collectionData collection Data analysisData analysis ConclusionsConclusions Theory formationTheory formation relative truth- open to revisionrelative truth- open to revision ecology has few theories: why?ecology has few theories: why?

9. Roots of Ecology Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s)Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s) classification of living thingsclassification of living things Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primata Family: Hominidae Genus: Homo Species: Sapiens

10. Roots of Ecology Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s)Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s) classification of living thingsclassification of living things Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von Humboldt (early 1800’s) botanical geographybotanical geography

11. Roots of Ecology Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s)Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s) classification of living thingsclassification of living things Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von Humboldt (early 1800’s) botanical geographybotanical geography Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace 1850Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace 1850 animal geographyanimal geography theory of evolution by natural selectiontheory of evolution by natural selection

12. Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution

13. Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution natural selection works at the scale of the individualnatural selection works at the scale of the individual evolution works at the scale of many generationsevolution works at the scale of many generations

14. Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution natural selection works at the scale of the individualnatural selection works at the scale of the individual evolution works at the scale of many generationsevolution works at the scale of many generations Observable: Observable: all organisms can produce more young than necessary to replace themselvesall organisms can produce more young than necessary to replace themselves all young are different from one another, and some are better suited to survival than othersall young are different from one another, and some are better suited to survival than others many of these differences are inherited from parentsmany of these differences are inherited from parents some lineages are more successful than otherssome lineages are more successful than others

15. Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution Natural selection is the mechanism that explains evolution natural selection works at the scale of the individualnatural selection works at the scale of the individual evolution works at the scale of many generationsevolution works at the scale of many generations Observable: Observable: all organisms can produce more young than necessary to replace themselvesall organisms can produce more young than necessary to replace themselves all young are different from one another, and some are better suited to survival than othersall young are different from one another, and some are better suited to survival than others many of these differences are inherited from parentsmany of these differences are inherited from parents some lineages are more successful than otherssome lineages are more successful than others Theory: lineages with most appropriate biological programming (genes) for current conditions will leave the most descendants Theory: lineages with most appropriate biological programming (genes) for current conditions will leave the most descendants

16. Roots of Ecology Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s)Carl von Linné (mid 1700’s) classification of living thingsclassification of living things Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von Humboldt (early 1800’s) botanical geographybotanical geography Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace 1850Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace 1850 animal geographyanimal geography theory of evolution by natural selectiontheory of evolution by natural selection Ernst Haeckel 1866Ernst Haeckel 1866 coined the term “ecology”coined the term “ecology” Edward Suess 1875Edward Suess 1875 “biosphere” as the condition that promotes life: it includes plants, animals, and non-living things“biosphere” as the condition that promotes life: it includes plants, animals, and non-living things Arthur Tansley 1935Arthur Tansley 1935 “ecosystem” concept: interaction between living and non-living entities in the biosphere“ecosystem” concept: interaction between living and non-living entities in the biosphere

17. Summary so far… What is ecology? What is ecology? Ecology vs. Environmentalism Ecology vs. Environmentalism Observation and Experimentation Observation and Experimentation The Scientific Method The Scientific Method Roots of Ecology Roots of Ecology Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection