BIO205H5 Lecture : Lecture #1 Notes
Document Summary
Ecology: the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. More specifically: ecology is the scientific study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. To determine the causes of distribution and abundance of organisms. Many fundamental questions addressed in terms of abundance and distribution. Adaptation to environmental change is the result of evolution by natural selection. Evolution: change in genetic structure over time. for evolution to occur, there must be variation. phenotypic plasticity: a variation/ variable expression of the phenotype in response to variability in environmental conditions. Environmental science: the analysis of human impact on the natural environment. Environmentalism: a social movement attempting to minimize human impact on our planet. We had this belief that we could do anything to our planet, and nothing would happen wrong. Outbreaks of pests , such as locusts in north america, fall into the realm of applied ecology.
