BSC2011-04 Lecture 3

ECOLOGY

Outline 1

I. Ecology of Populations

A. Population properties

  1. numbers
  2. density
  3. distribution
  4. sex ratio
  5. age structure

B. Population dynamics

  1. Why study population dynamics?
  2. Processes that affect population dynamics
  3. Models of population growth

a. exponential population growth

  1. pattern
  2. mathematical model

b. logistic growth

  1. pattern
  2. mathematical model

 

Outline 2

(Continued)

  1. Effects of population structure on dynamics
    1. sex ratio
    2. age-structure
    3. life tables
    1. survivorship
    2. age-specific birth rates

        d. life history

 

Outline 3

 

5. growth in natural populations

a. regulated growth (density dependent)

  1. how does density regulate growth?
  2. factors that can regulate
  • resource limitation
  • predation
  • intrinsic regulation

b. unregulated growth (density independent)

  1. factors that can affect growth
  • weather
  • disturbance

 

C. Applied population dynamics

1. managing for maximum sustainable yield

2. controlling pest populations

3. the Human population

Outline 4

II. Interactions Between Populations of Different Species

A. Classes of 2-species interactions

B. Effects of predation on population growth

  1. Huffaker's mites
  2. Moose and wolves on Isle Royal
  3. summary of effects of predation

C. Effects of competition between species on population            growth

  1. What is competition?
  2. Gause's paramecium
  3. the niche concept
  1. fundamental niche
  2. realized niche
  1. Connel's barnacles

Outline 5 is from Dr. Levitan’s lectures on Community Ecology and Conservation Biology. (I made these outlines from Cecilia’s notes):

III Community Ecology

A. Definition and community properties

B. Measures of community structure

  1. species richness
  2. species diversity

    a. Simpson’s diversity index

C. Factors that influence community diversity

  1. Insight from Island Biogeography
  2. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis
  1. the Patch model (Paine and Levin)
  1. The Keystone predation hypothesis
  1. Paine’s removal experiment

Conservation Biology

A. Rates of extinction

B. Kinds of extinction

  1. Pseudo-extinction
  2. Background extinction
  3. Mass extinction

C. Major causes of deterioration of habitats

  1. Pollution
  2. Introduced species
    1. example of Caribean Islands
  3. Habitat of species destruction

 

Outline 6

 

IV. Ecosystem Ecology

A. Energy flow

  1. food chains
  1. producers
  2. consumers
  3. decomposers
  1. productivity
  1. gross primary productivity
  2. net primary productivity

 

  1. ecological efficiency
  2. trophic pyramids
  3. what determines productivity?

 

 

Outline 7

B. Nutrient cycling

  1. a generalized nutrient cycle
  2. Kinds of biogeochemical cycles
  1. gaseous
  2. sedimentary
  3. water
  1. the hydrological cycle
  1. major components
  2. processes
  1. the carbon cycle
  1. source
  2. processes
  3. carbon cycling in aquatic systems
  4. decomposition
  1. the nitrogen cycle

Outline 8

V. Climate and Biomes

A. Climate

B. What determines climate?

  1. sunlight
  2. two facts about warm air

C. Major wind currents

D. Exceptions - variation in climate within a latitude

  1. altitude
  2. major land masses
  3. ocean currents

E. Seasonality

F. Three major types of terrestrial climate

G. Major terrestrial biomes