Science and Pseudoscience Overview

Science and Knowing

• Science aims to deepen human understanding of the natural and physical world.
• It emphasizes evidence-based decision-making, focusing on measurable and verifiable evidence.
• Science is both radical (open to questioning) and conservative (reliant on rigorous standards).

Scientific Acceptance of New Ideas

• New data or claims must be replicated by multiple research groups.
• A reasonable alternative hypothesis cannot explain the results.
• The results need support from various types of evidence.

Pseudoscience

• Pseudoscience tries to explain the natural world.
• It lacks measurable, verifiable evidence.
• It relies on unexplained or mysterious mechanisms.

Hypotheses and Predictions

• A hypothesis is a suggested explanation for an observation.
• Predictions follow logically from a hypothesis.
• Research supports or rejects hypotheses based on whether predictions are fulfilled.

Variables

• Outcome variables are measured in experiments or observational studies.
• Independent variables are not affected by experiments.
• Dependent variables are affected by experimental manipulation.
• Discrete variables have specific values, continuous variables have a range of values.

Ecology

• Ecology studies interactions between organisms and their environments.
• It includes organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels.
• Biotic components are living organisms, while abiotic components are non-living aspects.

Populations and Communities

• Populations consist of organisms of the same species, living in the same area.
• Communities are groups of different species interacting.
• Species are evolutionary units, sharing genetic and physical characteristics.
• Populations, communities, and ecosystems interact to form the biosphere.

Growth Rates

• Finite rate of increase (λ) is the growth rate over a defined period.
• Instantaneous rate of increase (r) measures growth rate at any moment.
• Exponential growth (or decay) occurs when the growth rate remains constant.
• Density-dependent growth is affected by factors like disease or predation.
• Carrying capacity is the maximum sustainable population size.

Organismal Ecology

• Organismal ecology investigates how individuals interact with each other and the environment.
• It focuses on behavior in response to environmental conditions.
• Plant-focused organismal ecology often considers elements like reproduction and food.
• Animals and plants interact via reproduction, competition, and relationships.

Keystone Species

• A keystone species significantly influences a community.
• Food webs illustrate trophic relationships.

Ecosystems and Interactions

• Ecosystems are composed of interacting biotic and abiotic components.
• Abiotic elements influence organisms greatly.
• Biotic communities and species interact in distinct ways.
• Understanding energy flow, carbon cycles, and nutrient cycles is key to ecosystem study.

Energy Flow and Productivity

• Energy flows through trophic levels (food chains).
• Gross primary productivity (GPP) is total light energy harnessed.
• Net primary productivity (NPP) is biomass production left after usage.
• Human activities influence NPP.

Climate Change and Species Interaction

• Climate change alters phenology, potentially mismatching species interactions.
• Phenological mismatch occurs when species are not in sync for optimal interactions.
• Species responses to disturbances vary, impacting ecosystem resilience.

Biodiversity

• Species diversity encompasses species richness and evenness.
• Niche partitioning allows coexistence of species with overlapping needs.
• Invasive species negatively affect species diversity and ecological interactions..

Limiting Factors and Resilience

• Limiting factors restrict growth, distribution, and abundance.
• Disturbances test ecosystem resilience, the ability to bounce back.
• Climate change impacts ecosystem health and resilience.