B-B2ECO
lecture 1 – week 1: course introduction
Katie Berry
This is a leaf through bullet point summary of Ecology 2: Ecological course introduction
Theory and Application lectures at the University of Utrecht.
biodiversity
summary key ● higher species richness → higher ecosystem functioning
○ communities that are more biodiverse will take up more
= definition ; extra information resources (e.g. nitrogen, potassium, water)
: enumeration → causal relationship ○ biodiversity increases the productivity of the system →
# number of 2(+) two or more increased soil carbon storage → soil carbon is sequestered
⁕ increased rate of carbon storage
⁕ increased soil carbon concentration
preparation for lecture 1 ⁕ decreased decomposition rate (it slows down)
⁕ increased stability of functioning → systems will be
announcement BlackBoard more resilient to climate change (e.g. drought)
● each group should consist of 4-5 members ● biodiversity is positively associated with mental health
● there is a biodiversity inequity
schedule ○ areas with a higher income tend to have more species
● about me assignment 30/04
● optional field trip 1 02/05 conservation
● competition and facilitation in R 07/05 ● ecology = science of how organisms interact with other
● poster presentation 16/05 organisms and their environment; two parts of ecology:
● proposal 23/05 ○ ecological theory = causes and consequences of
● metacommunities in R 04/06 biodiversity loss
● proposal for final research 06/06 ○ conservation biology; mission based:
● project peer review 13/06 ⁕ evaluate human caused biodiversity loss
● project materials for 18.6 17/06 ⁕ develop practical approaches to combat it
● project presentation 18/06 ● conservation practice continuum; conservation happens along
● project materials for 20.6 19/06 a spectrum: preservation → conservation → restoration
● project presentation 20/06
● final exam 25/06
exam
● basis types of questions:
○ interpret a figure
○ What theory is most likely to be relevant under these
circumstances?
○ How might you use this theory for this application under ● humans have set super ambitious goals (e.g. UN, EU wide)
these circumstances? ○ human capacity remains local
○ What are the likely consequences of this theory for ○ theory is generalizable across scales
biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, coexistence, ● our objectives:
population size … ? 1. explain 5 fundamental ecological theories
○ develop a hypothesis to answer this question using this 2. explain the role of theoretical modeling in ecological
theory research, conservation, management, and policy
○ project questions: 3. formulate/modify simple theoretical and statistical models
⁕ target audience and communication strategy to 4. situationally apply ecological theories for given
produce a specific result conservation, management, or policy applications
⁕ Which statistical test is most appropriate given the 5. select the appropriate statistical test for an ecological
circumstance? hypothesis
● reminder 6. develop, present, and perform peer evaluation for a
○ you can bring 1 handwritten A4 front page of notes into poster describing the role of the environment in altering
the exam ecological interactions
7. conceptualize, develop, and present a science
communication group project applying ecological theory
to a local ecosystem
1
lecture 1 – week 1: course introduction
Katie Berry
This is a leaf through bullet point summary of Ecology 2: Ecological course introduction
Theory and Application lectures at the University of Utrecht.
biodiversity
summary key ● higher species richness → higher ecosystem functioning
○ communities that are more biodiverse will take up more
= definition ; extra information resources (e.g. nitrogen, potassium, water)
: enumeration → causal relationship ○ biodiversity increases the productivity of the system →
# number of 2(+) two or more increased soil carbon storage → soil carbon is sequestered
⁕ increased rate of carbon storage
⁕ increased soil carbon concentration
preparation for lecture 1 ⁕ decreased decomposition rate (it slows down)
⁕ increased stability of functioning → systems will be
announcement BlackBoard more resilient to climate change (e.g. drought)
● each group should consist of 4-5 members ● biodiversity is positively associated with mental health
● there is a biodiversity inequity
schedule ○ areas with a higher income tend to have more species
● about me assignment 30/04
● optional field trip 1 02/05 conservation
● competition and facilitation in R 07/05 ● ecology = science of how organisms interact with other
● poster presentation 16/05 organisms and their environment; two parts of ecology:
● proposal 23/05 ○ ecological theory = causes and consequences of
● metacommunities in R 04/06 biodiversity loss
● proposal for final research 06/06 ○ conservation biology; mission based:
● project peer review 13/06 ⁕ evaluate human caused biodiversity loss
● project materials for 18.6 17/06 ⁕ develop practical approaches to combat it
● project presentation 18/06 ● conservation practice continuum; conservation happens along
● project materials for 20.6 19/06 a spectrum: preservation → conservation → restoration
● project presentation 20/06
● final exam 25/06
exam
● basis types of questions:
○ interpret a figure
○ What theory is most likely to be relevant under these
circumstances?
○ How might you use this theory for this application under ● humans have set super ambitious goals (e.g. UN, EU wide)
these circumstances? ○ human capacity remains local
○ What are the likely consequences of this theory for ○ theory is generalizable across scales
biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, coexistence, ● our objectives:
population size … ? 1. explain 5 fundamental ecological theories
○ develop a hypothesis to answer this question using this 2. explain the role of theoretical modeling in ecological
theory research, conservation, management, and policy
○ project questions: 3. formulate/modify simple theoretical and statistical models
⁕ target audience and communication strategy to 4. situationally apply ecological theories for given
produce a specific result conservation, management, or policy applications
⁕ Which statistical test is most appropriate given the 5. select the appropriate statistical test for an ecological
circumstance? hypothesis
● reminder 6. develop, present, and perform peer evaluation for a
○ you can bring 1 handwritten A4 front page of notes into poster describing the role of the environment in altering
the exam ecological interactions
7. conceptualize, develop, and present a science
communication group project applying ecological theory
to a local ecosystem
1
