Transcript 01Molles5e
Introduction to Ecology:
Historical Foundations and Developing Frontiers
Chapter 1
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Outline
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Overview of Ecology
Ecology of Forest Birds
Forest Canopy Research
Climatic and Ecological Change
The Scope of Ecology
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Overview of Ecology
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Ecology: Study of relationships between
organisms and the environment.
Simple definition does not convey the
extreme breadth of this discipline.
Ecosystem: Includes all organisms living in
an area, and the physical environment with
which these organisms interact.
Biosphere: Highest level of ecological
organization.
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Ecology of Forest Birds
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Robert MacArthur studied the ecology of five
species of warblers in spruce forests in N.A.
Theory predicted two species with
identical ecological requirements could not
coexist indefinitely.
Studies found warblers coexisted by
feeding in different zones of the same
tree.
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Bay-breasted
Warbler
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Blackburnian
Warbler
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Black-throated
Green Warbler
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Yellow-rumped
Warbler
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Cape May
Warbler
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Warbler Feeding Zones
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Stable Isotope Analysis
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Chemical elements have different atomic
masses (isotopes)
Proportions of isotopes vary across the
environment and this is reflected in the body
tissue of organisms
Recent advances in ecology take
advantage of this variation
By examining body tissue, ecologists
can determine food sources and habitat
use
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Forest Canopy Research
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Due to heavy rainfall, many rainforest soils
are nutrient-poor.
Nutrient stores in rainforest canopies are
associated with epiphytes.
Epiphyte mats contain significant
quantities of nutrients.
Trees send roots up to epiphyte mats
to access nutrients.
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Climatic and Ecological Change
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Many environmental changes occur over
large spatial or temporal scales.
Davis monitored plant pollen deposited in
lake sediments in the Appalachian Mtns.
Documented large temporal changes to
nearby plant communities.
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Paleoecology: Vegetation History from Pollen Sediments
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The Scope of Ecology
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Ecology: Study of relationships between
organisms and the environment.
Wide variety of approaches.
Large temporal and spatial scales.
Field
Lab
Observational
Manipulative
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