Ecology Basics

1. Ecology Basics

2. What is Ecology? Ecology:  A branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) • What do we know about ecology already? • Food Chain • DDT (bird eggs) • … • Question you should be able to answer at the of this class? (hint this stuff will probably be on the test) • What do ecologist do? • What is symbiosis? • What different type of symbiosis and what are examples of each? • Mutualism • Parasitism • Commensalism • What is an ecosystem? Good Referance: http://www.symbioticrelationship.org/

3. What are some Ecology related problems? BP Oil Spill Potato Blight Global Warming Ecology Basics Brain Storming Project Beetle Epidemic What do ecologist do? Ecological Foot Printing Acid Rain Air pollution Disappearing Corral Refs Earth Quakes

4. INSTAAR Scientist Research Interests “Light Stable Isotope Laboratory: global scale climate and environmental dynamics, carbon dioxide concentrations and climate from stable hydrogen isotopes peats and other organics, climate from deuterium excess and hydrogen isotopes in ice cores; isotopes in general circulation models; modern carbon cycle dynamics via isotopes of carbon dioxide and methane.” Director of INSTAAR James White Dr. White has done work with ice cores to help us understand what the atmosphere was like in the past. (We will revisit this later) Why would one want to know about the atmosphere of the past? As Dr. White explains in the upcoming video the environment depends on and connects many organisms. Watch “abiotic factors on environment”

5. Interspecies interactions Definition:  Any process in which an organism has an effect on an organism of a different species. (Comparative Toxiogenomics Database) Intraspecies interactions Definition: Any process in which an organism has an effect on an organism of the same species. (Comparative Toxiogenomics Database) Cooperation and Competition Symbiosis

6. Symbiosis Definition:  The living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organisms (as in parasitism or commensalism); especially:mutualism (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) All kinds of aquatic creatures need each other for survival Butterfly needs plants and plants needs butterfly There are many plant and animal Symbiotic relationship that you might already know about

7. Mutualism Definition:   mutually beneficial association between different kinds of organisms (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Examples: Tree Ants in the Amazon Build their nest using the leaves from trees which they defend will defend. Ants get supplies for a home Tree gets protection from other potential damaging insects Shrimp Gobies and Pistol Shrimps work together to avoid being dinner and live in a contently cleaned place. The fish looks out for predators while the shrimp clean out the house so they have a place to hide when predators are near. Good Reference: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1188610441663749549

8. Commensalism Definition: A relation between two kinds of organisms in which one obtains food or other benefits from the other without damaging or benefiting it  (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Examples: Clown Fish and the Sea Anemine Clown fish gain protection from the sea ananine by living in one. This does not aid or harm the sea anenimie as far as scientits can tell at this point. Barnacles and the Whale The barnacles attach the whale and are transported the new destinations and food location. This does not aid or harm the whale as far as scientist can tell at this point.

9. Parasitism Definition:   An intimate association between organisms of two or more kinds; especially: one in which a parasite obtains benefitsfrom a host which it usually injures (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Examples: Reed Warblers against Cuckoos Cuckoos lay eggs in Warblers nest. Cuckoos get other species to care for their young. This causes the other species to loose some off their young because they are too busy caring for the cuckoos. Malaria and Humans Malaria parasites invade red blood cells in the human body which they can then use to replicate and grow. This cause severe pathology in the human if not treated.

10. Cooperation Verses Competition With in the same species (Intra-specific) Definition: Active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Definition: The action of cooperating: common effort (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Deer fight to impress a mate or show dominance… Ants cooperate to build a home

11. Ecosystem Ecosystem:   The complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) All these Symbiotic interactions can be part of a single ecosystem How does this impact us? * Preserve for next generation * Medicines *Overall balance created by the interaction of many organisms

12. Ecosystem in a Bottle Good Reference: http://www.bottlebiology.org/

13. Watch Pine Bark Beetle Video

14. Early Detection Project

15. Closure: Answer the following questions • What is ecology? • What do ecologist do? • What are some example of symbiosis? • What is the difference between intre and intra species relations? • What is the difference between cooperation and competition? • What is an ecosystem? • What components make up a forest ecosystem? • What kind of relationship to the Beetle and the trees share? Are the beetles a parasite? • What kind of relationship do the blue stain fungus and the beetle share? • How do the Mountain Pine Beetles kill trees in Colorado?