Welcome to Ecology 101
Premise of course: Ecosystems approach a. Physical attributes b. Energy flow c. Productivity
Readings: Required: The Diversity of Life, Edward O. Wilson Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold Ecology: A Bridge Between Science and Society, Eugene P. Odum Highly Recommended: Science Times Science Nature
Grading 1. Midterm: 50% 2. Final: 50% Examination format: Multiple choice, true/false, short answer, essay
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Websites: Required: www.http://ci.columbia.edu/ci/eseminars/1111s_detail.html www.http://streamecology.org www.http://IES.org (Institute for Ecosystems Study) Recommended: www.medicalecology.org www.http://NASA.gov , then go to Earthwatch www.http://NOAA.gov
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Is That All There Is?
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The Diversity Of Life
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“Drifting Apart”
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Life Without The Sun’s Help
Extremophiles Rule!
GAIA Hypothesis
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Some General Ecological Principles
Ecosystem Ecology
Describing Ecosystems 1. Identify a definable geographic region (e.g. grassland prairie) 2. Identify all plants and animals within that region (i.e., the biodiversity index) 3. Study how these disparate groups form associations of food chains and food webs (i.e. form ecosystems). 4. Study the flow of energy through these associations (i.e., measure productivity)
Levels of Complexity
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"Why is this man sleeping"
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Lymphocyte
Nuclear Envelope
Chromosomal DNA
We have come a long way in just 20 years