animal ecology donald winslow, zoology 26 january 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Animal Ecology
Donald Winslow, Zoology
26 January 2011
Ecology (Ernst Haeckel)
• An organism’s relationship to its biotic and abiotic environment.
• Ecologists study factors that affect spatial distribution and abundance of organisms.
Biological hierarchy
• Cell
• Tissue
• Organ
• Organ system
• Organism
• Population
• Community
Nine-banded armadillo
Ecological hierarchy
• Organism
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Landscape
• Biome
• Biosphere Agricultural corridor within forested landscape in southern Indiana.
A population
American coots (Fulica americana) at Lake Thunderbird. Photo by Zac Ottis
A community
Ruddy Ducks and Eared Grebes at Great Salt Plains Lake
Coast Live Oak forest at Camp San Luis Obispo, California
An ecosystem
(biotic and abiotic components interacting)
A landscape
Coastal oak woodland and chaparral at Camp San Luis Obispo in California
A biome
Sonoran desert near Phoenix, Arizona
Broad fields in ecology
• Physiological ecology
• Population ecology
• Community ecology
• Ecosystem ecology
• Landscape ecology
• Biogeography
Physiological ecology
• Energy budgets
• Endothermy – Metabolic thermoregulation (bird or mammal)
• Ectothermy– Behavioral thermoregulation (e.g. reptile)
Population ecology
• Demes and metapopulations
• Demographic parameters
• Population dynamics and regulation– Role of resources
• Metapopulation dynamics– sources & sinks
A metapopulation
Source
Sink
Demographic parameters
• Population abundance and density
• Age structure
• Sex ratio
• Growth rate
• Survivorship
Age structures of human populations in Afghanistan and Belgium
From Hickman, et al. 2006. Integrated Principles of Zoology, 13th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
Exponential and logistic models of population growth
From Hickman, et al. 2006. Integrated Principles of Zoology, 13th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
Community ecology
• Species interactions– Competition
• Niche, tolerance ranges, habitat
– Predation & parasitism• Models & mimics• Keystone species—starfish & mussels
• Species diversity
Ecosystem ecology
• Gross and net productivity
• Trophic levels and food webs
• Producers, consumers, decomposers