BIOL 2300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Ecosystem Ecology, Null Hypothesis, Biome
22 Jun 2018
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LECTURE 1 WHAT IS ECOLOGY?
What is Ecology?
Ecology is a Science
Two Classes of Explanation
Ecologists are Scientists
Observation/Discovery
Question
Hypothesis
Test Hypothesis
Conclusion
Communicate Results
Science is an Iterative Process
Ecology Hierarchy
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What is Ecology?
• Derived from “oikos” (Greek) meaning ‘home’
• the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their
environment
o behavioural and physiological responses and adaptations for survival
▪ E.g., gaining energy – important for preventing from freezing to
death (shivering uses up energy)
o Trophic hierarchy
• Restoring ecosystem is very difficult.
o E.g., wetlands
• environment = all factors outside the organism that influence it
• Factors are either
o abiotic (physical and chemical)
▪ E.g., air, soil, water
o biotic (other organisms)
Ecology is a Science
• Goal: How do abiotic and biotic factors influence the distribution and
abundance of organisms?
o Where are the organisms found? (distribution)
▪ E.g., terrestrial, aquatics
o How many organisms are there? (abundance)
▪ Becomes difficult to count in large areas
▪ More difficult for mobile organisms
o What do the organisms do?
3
• Want to explain/understand ecological processes
o Most interested in the processes of birth, death and migration
▪ Immigration – to settle
▪ Emigration – leaving
o These processes are important because they alter the distribution and
abundance.
Two Classes of Explanation
• Proximal: patterns explained by the present environment
o Eg. How did the weather (eg. rain) this summer influence plant growth
in the region?
▪ Growth, hazards
• Ultimate: patterns explained by the past environment (i.e. ecological
experiences of ancestors through evolution)
o Eg. How has the climate over the past 1000 years influenced the plant
species present in the region?
Ecologists are Scientists
Observation/Discovery
• 1st Step: discover patterns and interconnections through observation
• Exposing yourself out in the environment
Question
• 2nd Step: question the pattern and interconnections that are observed
• What – questions that describe patterns or relationships
o “What part of the tree does each bird species occupy?”
Document Summary
2: want to explain/understand ecological processes, most interested in the processes of birth, death and migration, immigration to settle, emigration leaving, these processes are important because they alter the distribution and abundance. Two classes of explanation: proximal: patterns explained by the present environment, eg. How did the weather (eg. rain) this summer influence plant growth in the region: growth, hazards, ultimate: patterns explained by the past environment (i. e. ecological experiences of ancestors through evolution, eg. Observation/discovery: 1st step: discover patterns and interconnections through observation, exposing yourself out in the environment. Question: 2nd step: question the pattern and interconnections that are observed, what questions that describe patterns or relationships, what part of the tree does each bird species occupy? . We do not accept it: due to confounding variables, especially in changing ecosystem, example, h0: bird species are not distributed according to their preferred prey type, ha: bird species are distributed according to their preferred prey type.
