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Intro To Ecology - Welcome!!: LC: XXX A Question Is Live! Nominate A Group Reporter

This document provides an introduction to an ecology course. It includes the following key points: 1. The course objectives are to understand ecosystem services, the relationship between ecology and evolution, and how ecology helps answer science and applied questions. 2. A case study about sea otters getting sick from a parasite also found in humans and cats is presented, with a discussion of how wetlands can help regulate contaminants. 3. Ecology is defined as the quantitative science studying how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

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Maria Paula Guerra
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52 views

Intro To Ecology - Welcome!!: LC: XXX A Question Is Live! Nominate A Group Reporter

This document provides an introduction to an ecology course. It includes the following key points: 1. The course objectives are to understand ecosystem services, the relationship between ecology and evolution, and how ecology helps answer science and applied questions. 2. A case study about sea otters getting sick from a parasite also found in humans and cats is presented, with a discussion of how wetlands can help regulate contaminants. 3. Ecology is defined as the quantitative science studying how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

Uploaded by

Maria Paula Guerra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 24

Intro to Ecology – Welcome!!

LC:  xxx a question is live!


Nominate a group reporter
Dr. Mara Evans
Office Hours: Wednesday 3-4pm
Other days: maraevans.youcanbook.me

*Updated lecture schedule/quiz schedule on Sakai*


This is Nelli, a Finnish Lapphund. She loves green beans,
pulled pork, and toys that are shaped like reindeer.
@Nelli_fancypudding @fancypud (Mara Evans)
Now, tell me something about you!
Sea Otter
Objectives
• Be able to identify different types of
ecosystem services
• Explain how ecology relates to evolution
• Explain why studying ecology helps us answer
basic science questions and applied questions
about our world.

Vid 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpuqPphzmfo
Case Study: Sea Otters are getting sick
• Sea otters (and river otters) are
susceptible to parasite Toxoplasma
gondii (zoonotic pathogen)
• Humans (and other warm blooded
animals) are also susceptible to
Toxo.

Based on the information in


the video:
Propose a testable
hypotheses to determine the
origin of the otters’ parasite
infection. Vid 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpuqPphzmfo
Vid 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaeDDjHxwOQ
Cats make otters sick*

Toxo oocytes have


to pass through
wetlands to get to
the ocean.

*Cats also infect humans


Cat feces accumulates on
land, and washes into
streams… Contaminants and
sediment form
upstream are filtered

Eventually to
ocean
By minimizing otter (and human) illness, which
ecosystem service are wetlands providing?

A. Fundamental processes like primary production,


which are necessary for producing all other
ecosystem services.
B. Ecosystem goods and services that are directly
consumed by people.
C. Benefits that result from the regulation of
ecosystem processes including water purification.
D. Nonmaterial cultural and recreational benefits
By minimizing otter (and human) illness, which
ecosystem service are wetlands providing?

A. Fundamental processes like primary production,


which are necessary for producing all other
ecosystem services. Supporting services
B. Ecosystem goods and services that are directly
consumed by people. Provisioning services
C. Benefits that result from the regulation of
ecosystem processes including water purification,
(and Earth's climate and flood control). Regulating services
D. Nonmaterial cultural and recreational benefits
Cultural services
What impact do coastal wetlands have on the contamination of
terrestrially derived zoonotic pathogens?

Do wetlands keep otters healthy? Propose a testable hypothesis

Intact salt marsh (vegetation present) Mudflat (degraded habitat, no vegetation)

Researchers measured the flux (movement) of surrogate


particles (Toxo. mimics!) in these two systems
Researchers measured the flux (movement) of surrogate
particles (Toxo. mimics!) in these two systems

Intact salt marsh (vegetation present) Mudflat (degraded habitat, no vegetation)


Salt marsh Spring
Salt marsh Fall

What can you infer from this figure about the movement of Toxo
(surrogates) through these different coastal habitats?
What is ecology?

What unifies ecology and evolution?


What is ecology?

Ecology is a quantitative science that studies how


organisms interact with each other and their
environment.

Ecologists want to explain how and why the world looks and acts
how it does.
Why is the South Pole different
from the Congo?
Why are there so many mosquitos
but rhinos are going extinct?
Ecologists are interested in…

1. SPECIES: life processes, interactions and adaptations


2. The movement of matter and energy through
communities and ecosystems
3. Community and ecosystem change through time
 succession
4. The abundance (populations) and distribution (range)
of organisms (biodiversity) in the context of the
environment
What unifies ecology and
evolution?

ADAPTATION
helps us understand the interactions
of organisms with each other and the
environment across space and time.
ECOLOGY

Applied Science Basic Science:


Identifies best To explain how
practices, using the world
evidence, to make works
informed decisions
Ecology
ORGANISMS

POPULATIONS

le
SPECIES

ca
sing s
INTERACTIONS

increa
COMMUNITIES

ECOSYSTEMS
Who studies Ecology?

And
YOU do,
too!

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