BIOL 2260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: American Redstart, Phytoplankton, Habitat Conservation
9 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Study of relationships of organisms with their environment. Ecosystem: all organisms living in an area and the physical environment with which they interact. Levels of organization (from largest to smallest scale) w/ examples. Design studies based on research questions, temporal and spatial scale of studies, and available research tools. Studied ecology of 5 species of warblers in north american spruce forests. Theory predicted that two species with the same ecological requirements couldn"t coexist indefinitely. Macarthur found warblers coexisted by feeding in different zones. Using stable isotope analysis to understand how feeding in overwintering grounds of birds affects reproductive success. Blood samples of returning birds used to determine winter habitat. Studied which elements caused severe algal bloom/eutrophication in lakes. Ecological/evolutionary changes can occur over large spatial or long temporal scales. Pollen present at different depths allowed her to see how vegetation changed as glaciers advanced and retreated. Variation in phytoplankton growth key to marine food webs.
