BIOL 2Q04 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Ecosystem Model, Snowshoe Hare, Scientific Method

• School: Brock University
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIOL 2Q04
• Professor: Liette Vasseur

Document Summary

What is ecology: ecology is the study of the interactions between an organism and its biological and physical environment, abiotic (physical) environment. Rachel carson: begi(cid:374)(cid:374)i(cid:374)g of the e(cid:374)(cid:448)i(cid:396)o(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)tal (cid:373)o(cid:448)e(cid:373)e(cid:374)t i(cid:374) the (cid:373)ode(cid:396)(cid:374) (cid:449)o(cid:396)ld, he(cid:396) (cid:271)ook (cid:862) ile(cid:374)t. P(cid:396)i(cid:374)g(cid:863) (cid:449)as the i(cid:374)spi(cid:396)ation behind the our growingly environmentally conscious modern world ddt bioaccumulation in predatory species: she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom by president jimmy carter. Importance for humans: from medicine to environmental movement. Ecology = complexity: nature is not organized into discrete packages, each level of integration involves separate problems and attributes. Ecological studies often encompass several levels of organization. Thus e(cid:272)olog(cid:455) is (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:374)e(cid:272)ted to othe(cid:396) fields but it i not : natural history. Observational study of plants and animals in their natural environment. Te(cid:374)d to lead to e(cid:272)ologi(cid:272)al (cid:395)uestio(cid:374)s: (cid:862)ho(cid:449)(cid:863) a(cid:374)d (cid:862)(cid:449)h(cid:455)(cid:863) does (cid:272)ha(cid:374)ge occur. Difference = ecology driven by a specific hypothesis. The study of the impact of humans on the environment.