1. Introduction to Ecology

2. What is Ecology? Ecology- Word ecology comes from
Study of the interactions among living things and between living things and their surroundings
Ecology-
Word ecology comes from
Greek word oikos which means “house”

3. Ecologists study environments at different levels of organization

4. Can be broken into biomes which are
Biosphere:
Can be broken into biomes which are
Ecosystem:
The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life.
Major regional or global biotic community, such as a grassland or desert, characterized mainly by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate.
Includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks, and other non-living things in a given area.

5. Community: Population: Organism:
Group of different species that live together in one area
Group of the same species that lives in one area
Individual living thing

6. Examples Tropical Rainforest Biome Organisms within a tree
Ecosystem
Toucan, bat, sloth, langur
Community
3 Toucans
Population
1 Toucan
Organism
Examples

7. Ecological research methods include observation, experimentation, and modeling
Act of carefully watching something over time
Examples
Animal- Mark-recapture
Plants- Quadrant sampling

8. Experimentation Modeling
Scientists can perform experiments in the lab or field (where the organism lives)
Example: to find out how climate change affects the growth rate of plants, scientists can grow plants in a lab and adjust temperature settings
Use computer and mathematical models when observation and experimentation are not possible
Example: computer program to determine extinction rate of bears at Yellowstone

9. Activity
Estimate the population of plants using the following equation T=NA
T= total population estimate
N=total number of individuals counted in selected quadrants/ number of quadrants selected
A= total area/ area of quadrant

10. Shaded area represents a randomly selected quadrant.
The area of each quadrant is 1 m2 and the total area of the sampling plot is 200 m2.
T= (6/5) x (200m2/1m2)
T= 1.20 x 200= 240
240= estimated population of plants in the field

11. For Review
Construct your own ecological organization pyramid using markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc. Use a ruler and be neat! Do not use the examples discussed in class.