Welcome to IB 203: Ecology

• Dr. Carol Augspurger carolaug@uiuc.edu

155 Morrill 3-1298 office hours 2 Th and by appointment

Course Website

www.life.uiuc.eduintegrative biology

coursesIB 203

Ricklefs Economy of Nature

Some texts have “Data Analysis Update”.Don’t need this version UNLESS planning

to do a James Scholar project for IB 203

Grading - on Compass• Exams (50%) First exam 15 Second exam 15 Final exam 20• Extra credit adds to exams (max = 5 points/exam)

• Labs and discussion (50%) Participation 8 Homeworks 1-12 12 Student project 1 15 Student project 2 15

Course Philosophy• Learn both products and processes of

science• Aim for higher levels of thought• Use active learning Tell me and I’ll listen Show me and I’ll understand Involve me and I’ll learn Teton Lakota Indian

Responsibilities• Mine• Yours

• Any questions?

Assignments• Read before next lecture: Chapter 5: The Biome Concept Expect quiz on location of biomes

• DUE at beginning of first lab next week Homework 1: Hypotheses…(pg. 169) 2 xerox copies of I-card with photo

• Read before first lab next week: Lab 1: Small mammals (pg. 71) Homework 2A: Mammal habitat choice (pg.179)

Chapter 1: Introduction to EcologyAnd How Ecologists Study the Natural World

Today’s Outline• What is ecology?• What types of questions do ecologists ask?• Hierarchical levels of biology/ecology• Questions asked at each level• Homework 1: Hypothesis/Prediction/Exp. Design • Scientific Process• Introduce Labs I-III: ‘Small mammals and seeds in succession habitats’

Ecology = ecos (home) ology (study of)

Plants…

animals…

decomposers…

microorganisms…

and their interactions with the environment - both biotic and abiotic factors.

Our activities have complex effects on ecosystems…Ecology include humans as a very significant species by virtue of its impacts.

Ecology provides a scientific context for evaluating environmental (human-induced) issues.

The integrity of the kelp forest habitat depends onthe presence of sea otters.

Four biological disciplines closely related to ecology; interdisciplinary studies

What types of questions do ecologists ask?

• WHAT? WHO? WHEN? WHERE? gather descriptive information by observation natural history = foundation of all ecology***What’s your background with nature?

• HOW? mechanisms and biological/physical processes proximate/functional

• WHY? What is the adaptive significance of structures, processes, behaviors? ultimate/evolutionary

Develop a “HOW”?Functional/proximate

Develop a “WHY”?Ultimate/adaptive

*** Observation: Heliconius butterfly larvae feed only on passionflower vines.

• Observation: Larvae feed only on passionflower.

• HOW do they local their food source? (perhaps by smell?)

• WHY do larvae select passion flowers? (perhaps non-toxic; aids in growth, survival, reproduction)?

Patterns in nature are understood in terms of evolution by natural selection.Structure/function of organisms (adaptations) of organisms are a product of their evolutionary history.

• Hierarchical levels of biological organization…from molecules toorganisms…

• Ecology starts with individual organism…and goes to higher levels of biological organization.

The hierarchical nature and processes of different levels of ecological systems:

Ecologists use questions to reveal patterns in nature.

• Individual organism: How do structure, physiology, and behavior lead to the individual’s survival and reproduction?

•Population: What determines the number of individuals and their variation in time and space?

• Community: What determines the diversity and relative abundance of organisms living together?

• Ecosystem: How do energy and matter move in the biotic and abiotic environment?

• Biosphere: How do air, water, and the energy and chemicals they contain circulate globally?

***What is the level of ecological organization? • Corey: How does parental care by birds change as

offspring age (from egg-nestling-post-fledging)?• Dylan: Does food availability influence the length

of the breeding season of grackles?• Molly: Can degraded sand prairie be restored

using dormant seeds?• Nicole: How do predators and prey influence each

others’ life history traits?• Brad: How does genetic structure of amphibians vary in forest vs. grasslands?• Jinelle: Is habitat use by rat snakes due to

variation in prey # or the snake’s thermal ecology?

***What is the level of ecological organization? • P-Corey: How does parental care by birds change as

offspring age (from egg-nestling-post-fledging)? What influences natal dispersal?

• P-Dylan: Does food availability influence the length of the breeding season of grackles?

• C-Molly: Can degraded sand prairie be restored using dormant seeds in the soil?

• C-Nicole: How do predators and prey influence each others’ life history traits?

• P-Brad: How does genetic structure of amphibians vary in forest vs. grasslands?• Jinelle: Is habitat use by rat snakes due to variation

in prey # or the snake’s thermal ecology?• C + I

ecology* organism* ecosystem*biosphere* population* community*habitat scale evolution* adaptations* natural selection* pattern natural history levels of biol. temporal scale organizationspatial scale proximate/ ultimate/ functional evolutionary adaptive

descriptive significance

Vocabulary: Chapter 1 Introduction

Today’s Outline

• What is ecology?• What types of questions do ecologists ask?• Hierarchical levels of biology/ecology• Questions asked at each level• Homework 1: Hypothesis/Prediction/Exp. Design • Scientific process• Introduce Labs I-III: ‘Small mammals and seeds in succession habitats’

Assignments• Read before next lecture: Chapter 5: The Biome Concept Expect quiz on location of biomes

• DUE at beginning of first lab next week Homework 1: Hypotheses…(pg. 169) 2 xerox copies of I-card with photo

• Read before first lab next week: Lab 1: Small mammals (pg. 71) Homework 2A: Mammal habitat choice (pg.179)