Principles of Ecology Unit 1 Learning Objectives PDF

Principles of ecology unit 1 learning objectives History, background and study of ecology 1. Explain the origins of ecology (origins of the study, origins of the term, modernization of the field) and a couple of the major players (Esp. Elton and Hutchinson) 2. Explain how ecology is rel...

Principles of ecology unit 1 learning objectives History, background and study of ecology 1. Explain the origins of ecology (origins of the study, origins of the term, modernization of the field) and a couple of the major players (Esp. Elton and Hutchinson) 2. Explain how ecology is relevant to everyone, not just ecologists 3. Explain the main arguments of Diamond 1983 4. Explain the main strengths and weaknesses of the 3 main types of ecological experiments 5. Explain the importance of multiple lines of evidence and multiple types of experiments for using strong inference in ecology 6. Explain why strong inference is important to ecology Niches 7. Explain the origin of the term niche 8. Explain how the niche can be quantified 9. Explain two main application of niche theory -- competitive exclusion and niche partitioning and identify how/when they apply and do not apply 10. Explain the main arguments presented in Hutchinson 1961 (paradox of the plankton) 11. Identify some of the main arguments as to why we often do not see competitive exclusion 12. Explain the idea behind succession theory 13. Explain the idea behind the intermediate disturbance hypothesis 14. Explain the idea behind source-sink dynamics 15. Explain how the concept of a niche can be quantified by layering an organisms environmental tolerances into the N-dimensional hypervolume 16. Explain the difference between a FUNDAMENTAL and a REALIZED niche, and how each can be used in the study of ecology 17. Explain how an organism's niche can be used to predict how it will interact with other organisms (niche breadth, niche overlap, etc) 18. Explain how ecosystem engineers complicate our ability to predict species interactions/distributions using fundamental niches 19. Identify applications and limitations of using niche theory in ecology 20. Explain the idea behind the biogeochemical niche (BN) (Peñuelas et al. 2019) 21. Explain the 3 main patterns seen in BNs 22. Explain how the BN relates to the Hutchinsonian n-dimensional hypervolume Trade-offs 23. Explain the fundamental idea of a trade-off using major limiting factors for organisms (time, energy, elements) 24. Explain the main findings and ideas behind Grime 1974 (trade-offs in plants, Grime's triangle) 25. Explain the general patterns to species richness in a trade-off triangle 26. Explain how optimality theory can be used to explain differences in life-history traits between different organisms 27. Predict what types of conditions will favor certain life-history traits (e.g. high reproductive output vs high growth, few high quality offspring vs many low, etc) 28. Explain Leibig's law of the minimum and how it can be used to predict what types of trade-offs will be selected for 29. Explain the role of uncertainty in predicting life-history traits 30. Explain when we expect to see natural selection favor highly 'optimized' phenotypes vs 'generalized' phenotypes 31. Explain the idea behind bet-hedging -- both conservative and diversified and when this strategy may be selected for 32. Explain what factors tend to favor investment in maintenance (K-selection) vs investment in reproduction (R-selection) 33. Explain what factors tend to favor high homeostasis vs plasticity in an organism's elementome Energy flow 34. Explain how energy is moved between organisms 35. Explain why ecologists who study food webs care about NPP (net primary productivity) 36. Compare and contrast using standing stock vs flow to examine food webs 37. Compare and contrast 'typical' food webs in aquatic vs terrestrial systems 38. Identify the 3 stages required to move energy between levels (consumption, assimilation, production) 39. Explain some factors that affect all 3 aspects of trophic transfer efficiency 40. Explain some of the general patterns of trophic transfer efficiency across ecology 41. Explain the main argument behind the 1960 paper by Hairston, Smith, and Slobodkin (world is green hypothesis) 42. Explain some of the main criticisms of the world is green hypothesis 43. Compare top-down vs bottom-up foodwebs 44. Explain some limitations to using foodwebs in understanding ecology Nutrient cycles 45. Define nutrients 46. Explain the main arguments behind Peñuelas et al 2019 (biogeochemical niche, elementome) 47. Explain why certain minerals may be more or less important in understanding an organism 48. Explain the idea behind stoichiometry and limiting nutrients 49. Explain the ways carbon enters, cycles, and exits ecosystems 50. Explain the ways nitrogen enters, cycles, and exits ecosystems 51. Explain the ways phosphorus enters, cycles, and exits ecoystems 52. Explain how humans influence nutrient cycling 53. Explain the main argument behind the Julia Rosen 2021 article "Humanity Is Flushing Away One of Life's Essential Elements: We broke phosphorus"