1 BIOLOGY 201 FIRST SUMMER SESSION 2010 ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION INSTRUCTOR: Dr. David Vandermast [email protected] or [email protected] T.A. : Kyle Palmquist ([email protected]) BIOLOGY 201 WEBSITE: https://blackboard.unc.edu LECTURES: Daily 9:45-11:15 AM, Coker Hall, Room 201 OFFICE HOURS: Immediately after class on most days RECITATION: Meet in Wilson Hall, Room 132 or as noted in the Recitation syllabus. PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND: Evolution is played out in an ecological context. Ecological processes that cause changes in the genetic make-up of populations are the basis of evolution. Since all biological processes are ultimately part of evolution, ecology and evolution are intimately intertwined. The ecological interactions of populations, species, communities and ecosystems all have evolutionary consequences. Therefore, all environmental issues have an ecological basis and both ecological and evolutionary consequences. Global warming, deforestation, overpopulation, etc. result from the actions and interactions between organisms and their environment. The new, often impaired environment forces all species to adapt to it. This compels all species to change (evolve). Some will thrive and others will go extinct. We must take this seriously since “extinction is forever”. Several concepts help unify this course. One is the role of diversity. We will consider many types of diversity from genetic diversity (the variety of genotypes in a population or species), which fuels evolution; to species diversity (the variety of species in a natural community), which stabilizes ecosystem processes. Diversity is fundamental to evolution, population biology and ecology. The other unifying concepts are spatial and temporal heterogeneity. All systems are variable in space and time. This idea underlies the development of new species, genetic drift, coexistence of competing species, predator-prey dynamics, seasonality, and the structure and dynamics of communities and ecosystems. We will organize the course by using these conceptual threads to weave a coherent understanding of the interrelationships between ecology and evolution. OBJECTIVES: In this course you will begin to understand the processes that govern the distribution and dynamics of ecological systems. Ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment. Evolution is the consequence of ecological interactions played out over time. This seems simple enough, but nature is exceedingly complex so a superficial analysis of an ecological issue can produce an answer that this shallow and perhaps even dangerously incorrect. Understanding the complexity that will be introduced to you in this course will likely be your biggest challenge.2 COURSE ORGANIZATION: This course is divided into three main sections: Part I, Evolution, is about the mechanisms of evolution, at the population and phylogenetic levels. We will examine populations as evolutionary units. Population genetics is a quantitative tool for analyzing evolutionary change. We will see how changes in gene frequencies in a population lead to changes in populations and the formation of new species, i.e. evolution. Part II, Population Ecology. We will study the dynamics of population level processes, including survivorship and reproduction leading to population growth and regulation. Part III, Community and Ecosystem Ecology, will focus on communities and ecosystems and how populations interact through competition, predation, and mutualism. Then we will examine how population processes are influenced by their environmental constraints, ranging from seasonality and spatial heterogeneity to disturbances. We will learn what determines the structure of natural communities, i.e. species diversity. The interplay of the communities with their physical environment results in production, energy flow, decomposition and nutrient cycling at the ecosystem level. The community and the constituent populations determine ecosystem level processes. In turn the dynamics of the ecosystem determine the conditions for population and community change and ultimately for evolution. We will end with a discussion of the impact of ecology on many current environmental and conservation issues. RECITATION: Your recitation section meets three times a week (M, T, & Th): section 601 meets at 12:00, section 602 meets at 1:00. The Recitation grade will constitute 20% of your final grade. It can raise your grade but it cannot rescue you: you must pass the lecture to pass the class. You are assigned to one recitation section and you must attend that section. Recitation is a mini-lab, containing computer simulations, discussions, and field trips. All field trips take 2 hours and attendance is required (missing a field trip is a reduction of 10% of your Recitation grade). There are two this session, one uses Bolin Creek and the other Battle Park, a 93 acre public-access area owned by the University and managed by the Botanical Garden. Check your recitation schedule and plan accordingly. If you have a legitimate conflict, we will help you reschedule your field trips. However you are always responsible for any content you may have missed. Let your TA know if you have recitation conflicts. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LECTURES AND THE READINGS: Attendance at all lectures is essential for success in this course. Every two classes equals one week of a regular academic semester. Consequently, you cannot let yourself fall behind in the readings or in lecture material. It is fine to use flash cards to make sure that you understand terms and concepts and to help you remember people and what to associate them with. However, my tests will ask more from you than simply whether or not you can memorize facts. I give you my powerpoints on blackboard so that you can take notes on the examples and stories I tell that illustrate concepts and show how ecologists and evolutionary biologists test hypotheses and apply concepts to real world observations. These stories almost always end up as test questions. My hope is that you use the powerpoints, your notes from class, and the readings to “triangulate” onto a solid understanding of the material.3 CRITIQUES OF ORIGINAL ECOLOGICAL PAPERS: DUE DATE: JUNE 7 (EMAIL TO ME) In order to help you start reading original scientific papers, you will need to