13101350
,Lecture E and 2 Introduction to
'
-
Ecology
what Ecology is Not :
natural history
•
/ environmental sciences
biology
°
conservational
politics activism
•
Ecology : scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments
everything in nature interconnect
•
is
interactions
•
direct or indirect
Populations : group of individuals of a species that are
living and interacting in a
particular area
community : an association of interacting populations of different species living
and the same area
interacting in
Ecosystems : a community of
organisms plus their abiotic environment
Landscapes : areas with substantial differences , typically including multiple ecosystems
Biosphere : all the world's ecosystems -
all
organisms and the environments in which
they live in
scientific Method :
to Make observations and ask questions
2. Use prior knowledge to make a
hypothesis
3. Evaluate hypothesis by experimentation, observation or quantitative models
4. Use results to
modify hypothesis , pose new questions ,
draw conclusions
,Experimental Design
Replicate
•
Assign treatments at random
°
•
Include a control group
°
Use statistical analysis to determine
significant effects
,Lecture 3 and 4 : climate
climate: long -
term description of weather based upon averages and variations measured
over decades
Factors of Climate
temperature ; influenced
°
by :
→
atmospheric circulation
→
ocean currents
→
continental topography
→
distribution of land and water -
greater variation over land than water
→
elevation
precipitation
-
→
atmospheric circulation
ranges
→
mountain
→
semi permanent high and low pressure cones
→
elevation
Biomes : large scale biological communities shaped by the physical environment , and in
particular by climate variation
•
characterized by dominant plant forms and their characteristics
Freshwater Biological Zones
•
velocity
°
depth
•
temperature
•
clarity
Chemistry
°
of water
,Lecture E and 2 Introduction to
'
-
Ecology
what Ecology is Not :
natural history
•
/ environmental sciences
biology
°
conservational
politics activism
•
Ecology : scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments
everything in nature interconnect
•
is
interactions
•
direct or indirect
Populations : group of individuals of a species that are
living and interacting in a
particular area
community : an association of interacting populations of different species living
and the same area
interacting in
Ecosystems : a community of
organisms plus their abiotic environment
Landscapes : areas with substantial differences , typically including multiple ecosystems
Biosphere : all the world's ecosystems -
all
organisms and the environments in which
they live in
scientific Method :
to Make observations and ask questions
2. Use prior knowledge to make a
hypothesis
3. Evaluate hypothesis by experimentation, observation or quantitative models
4. Use results to
modify hypothesis , pose new questions ,
draw conclusions
,Experimental Design
Replicate
•
Assign treatments at random
°
•
Include a control group
°
Use statistical analysis to determine
significant effects
,Lecture 3 and 4 : climate
climate: long -
term description of weather based upon averages and variations measured
over decades
Factors of Climate
temperature ; influenced
°
by :
→
atmospheric circulation
→
ocean currents
→
continental topography
→
distribution of land and water -
greater variation over land than water
→
elevation
precipitation
-
→
atmospheric circulation
ranges
→
mountain
→
semi permanent high and low pressure cones
→
elevation
Biomes : large scale biological communities shaped by the physical environment , and in
particular by climate variation
•
characterized by dominant plant forms and their characteristics
Freshwater Biological Zones
•
velocity
°
depth
•
temperature
•
clarity
Chemistry
°
of water
