1Mary Power, [email protected]://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/power/office hours W, F 9-10 am, Bio 1b officeT 3:40-5 4184 VLSB2organismEcologyEcology:“oikos (house) logos (study)”:Scientific (since 1902) study ofinteractions of organisms withtheir environments.“Study of factors thatdetermine the distribution andabundance of organisms”(Andrewartha and Birch 1954)3Niemala…4Niemala, a Finnish ecologist, found that birch leaves wereeaten faster by caterpillars (and caterpillars grew faster)when leaves were enriched with nitrogen (as they are fromacid rain), but that trees growing for 5-10 years in outdoornitrogen-fertilized plots were less grazed than were trees inunfertilized plots…..???!???Lab results: comparedcaterpillar feeding andgrowth rates onNitrogne enriched vsnon-enriched leaves?56Unfertilized FertilizedPredatorsover-recruited tofertilizedtrees in thefield plotsplantsherbivorespredators7• Observations– The only way truly new information is acquired– Good natural history– Consistent long term monitoring– Nowadays: Advanced mapping and sensing technologies• Experiments– Field or laboratory, replicated manipulated treatments with controls– Whole ecosystem experiments (Schindler’s lake fertilization andacidification, p. 1205, Fig. 54.8 in Campbell); Hubbard Brookdeforestation• Models– verbal or mathematical simplifications of reality, intended to capturekey processes driving system change over time– Hypotheses: suggested explanations, subject to test (falsifiable)8Understanding ecological patterns and processesrequires both:Reductionist approaches -- seeking mechanisms,causal processes—(e.g., caterpillars feed and growfaster on nitrogen rich leaves) (lab—spoon vs chopstick feeders—mechanism affects efficiency)andHolistic approaches -- determining boundaries of thesystem (all that must be included) necessary forunderstanding and predicting outcomes of ecologicalinteractions in the real world. (lab—how do diets,experience, environmental context affect success andeventual composition of foragers on VLSB lawn? )Zoom lens ecology: focus in for mechanism, zoom outfor context and consequences9Taxon2 speciesFood chainStrong interactions10Taxon or guild2 speciesFood chainStrong interactionsspacetimeenergy11EnvironmentLecture 2.Climate, microclimatesand biomesLecture 3.Resources, conditions,and the fundamentalniche in aquatic andterrestrial environments122. Climate, microclimates and biomes3. Resources, conditions, and thefundamental nicheOrganismsLecture 4.Autecology: naturalhistory of organisms(behavioral,physiological, and lifehistory traits)Lecture 5.Population ecology(birth, death, growth,feeding, movementrates!populationstructure and dynamics)13Environment2. Climate, microclimates and biomes3. Resources, conditions, and thefundamental niche in aquatic andterrestrial environmentsOrganisms• Autecology: natural history oforganisms4. Population ecology (birth, death,growth, feeding, movementrates!population structure anddynamicsSpecies interactions:Lecture 6.competition, predation, parasitismLecture 7.Herbivory, detritivory, mutualismLecture 8.Food webs, food chains, interaction strength14Environment2. Climate, microclimates and biomes3. Resources, conditions, and thefundamental niche in aquatic andterrestrial environmentsOrganisms• Autecology: natural history oforganisms4. Population ecology (birth, death,growth, feeding, movementrates!population structure anddynamicsSpecies interactions:6. Competition, predation, parasitism7. Herbivory, detritivory, mutualism8. Food webs, food chains, interactionstrengthLectures 9-11:Ecosystems: Biota and their physical and chemical environments15EcosystemsLecture 9. Disturbance and successionLecture 10. Ecosystem ecology: primary and secondaryproductionLecture 11. Ecosystem ecology: elemental cycling16EcosystemsLecture 9. Disturbance and successionLecture 10. Ecosystem ecology: primary and secondaryproductionLecture 11. Ecosystem ecology: elemental cycling17Lecture 9. Disturbance and successionLecture 10. Ecosystem ecology: primary and secondary productionLecture 11. Ecosystem ecology: elemental cyclingLectures 12-13. Regional andGlobal patternsLecture 12. Spatial patternsof species richness, islandbiogeography and design ofbiodiversity reservesLecture 13. Global changeand species interactions withecosystems18Ecology may be the most complex system science has evertried to understand…19How to deal with ecological complexity?• Seek simplicity, and mistrust it (AlfredNorth Whitehead)• Multiple working hypotheses (T.C.Chamberlain, 1897)– Attempt to falsify each– Acknowledge that certain answers are neverachieved• Attempts at prediction ! usefulpostdiction ! “Ecological Forecasting”(acknowledging uncertainty and contextdependency)20Methods in Ecology:• Observations• Experiments• Models21Models, hypothesesDeduction (predictingspecific outcomes fromgeneral models)Induction (generalizing fromspecific observations tomore general models)Tests: observations or experiments22• Observations– The only way truly new information isacquired– Good natural history– Consistent long term monitoring– Advanced mapping and sensingtechnologies23Observations: Technology and natural history: 13-17 speciesof bats in California (Bill Rainey, Dixie Pierson – husband wifeconservation biology team)- ultrasonic acoustic detection to identify(most) species and estimate collective foragingactivity24Remote sensing (e.g., airborne laseraltimetry)!Digital Elevation Modelsand predictions of environmentalconditions (e.g. light, temperatureregimes)2526Northern California ‘melted ice cream’ topography: Landslide dominated27New sensing, mapping, and tracing technologiesTo theInternet andbeyond…28• Observations– The only way truly new information is acquired– Good natural history– Consistent long term monitoring– Advanced mapping and sensing technologies• Experiments– Field or laboratory, replicated manipulated treatmentswith controls– Whole ecosystem experiments (Schindler’s lakefertilization and acidification, p. 1205, Fig. 54.8 inCampbell); Hubbard Brook deforestation29Mo’orea, FrenchPolynesia: pillowstars have color-matched shrimp!Berkeley students at UCBGump Marine Lab, Mo’orea3031Hypothesis 1:nutritionalenvironment,shrimp acquirescolor from starfishor diet of starfishHypothesis 2:shrimp have fixedgenetic variation incolor, and
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