Introduction to Ecology Lecture 1

Lecture 1: Introduction to Ecology and Ecological Disciplines

• Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.
• Ecology is a broad scientific discipline.
• Key learning objectives are defined in the lecture and include defining ecology, describing the hierarchical nature of ecology, differentiating biotic and abiotic factors, providing examples of ecological subdisciplines, describing "question-driven research," defining natural history, and explaining the application of natural history to ecology.

Learning Objectives

• The lecture objectives define, explain, and distinguish key ecological concepts.
• Learning objectives are presented as a "Study Guide."

Ecology

• Ecology is defined as the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.
• This relationship is cyclical.

Subfields of Ecology

• Specific areas of ecological study are detailed, including organismal ecology, population ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology.

Ecology is Hierarchical

• Ecological study is multifaceted and complex, considering variables at different levels, from individual organisms up to the global biosphere.
• An ecologist studying a zebra population would be interested in factors impacting the population, including predators, available resources, behavior, and abiotic factors.

Ecology is Interdisciplinary

• Ecology is an interdisciplinary field encompassing several other fields of study.
• Physiological ecology and evolutionary ecology are cited as examples.

Ecology is Question-Driven

• Ecology involves asking questions.
• Scientific questions are important as they stem from observations and are based on existing knowledge (current theories).
• The scale of investigation (temporal and spatial) and available research tools also influence studies.
• A hypothesis is tested and refined based on the results of the observation, experiment, or model.

Sample Ecological Question: Coexistence of Species

• The coexistence of species hinges on different resource utilization.
• A study involving warblers in trees demonstrates that different species use different portions of the same tree (different levels, branches) and interact with each other in different ways.
• Robert MacArthur’s research provides insights into this.

MacArthur's Conclusions

• Species utilize resources differently to coexist.
• Species utilize different areas, capture insects in different ways, and nest at different times.

Sample Ecological Question: Zebra Stripes

• The evolutionary reason behind zebra stripes is a subject of study and research.

New Ecological Disciplines

• Aeroecology is the ecology of the earth-atmosphere boundary.
• Urban ecology is the study of urban areas as complex, dynamic systems influenced by interactive biological, physical, and social components.

Paleoecology

• Paleoecology studies changes over long periods, like lake sediments, and can reveal past environmental conditions.
• Studying pollen in lake sediment provides insights into historical forest composition.

Knowledge of Natural History

• Natural history is useful for guiding ecological studies.
• It involves understanding how organisms in a specific area are affected by climate, soil, predation, competition, and evolutionary history.

Coming Up

• The next 2 lectures will examine natural history (climate and biomes, life on land, life in water) from a global perspective.
• Review the lecture slides, practice answering quiz questions, and study until all concepts are understood.