E. O. Wilson, 2002

1. E. O. Wilson, 2002 The totality of life, known as the biosphere to scientists and creation to theologians, is a membrane of organisms wrapped around Earth so thin it cannot be seen edgewise from a space shuttle, yet so internally complex that most species composing it remain undiscovered.

2. Selected Recommended Ecology-related Reading • Sand County Almanac, A. Leopold • The Eternal Frontier: An Ecological History of North America and Its People, T. Flannery • Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, J. Diamond • Earth Abides, G. Stewart • Song of the Dodo, D. Quammen • Wild Thoughts from Wild Places, D. Quammen • Last Chance to See, D. Adams • In Search of the Snow Leopard, P. Matthiesen • Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England, W. Cronon • The Future of Life, E. Wilson • Desert Solitaire, E. Abbey

3. Which of these (choose one), in your opinion, poses the greatest threat to the ecology and biological diversity of WI? • Climate change due to increased global CO2 and atmospheric temperatures • Land use that modifies increasing portions of the landscape for residential and commercial uses • Spread of introduced species and the related loss of native species (e.g. species naturally occurring during the past 100-200 years) • Spread of infectious disease

4. Overarching Concept Ecology is the study of how living (Biotic) and non-living (Abiotic) factors influence Living Systems Living Systems include: • Individual organisms • Groups of organisms

5. Units of Study or Investigation • Individual organism • Population of a species of an organism in an area • Community or groups of populations of several species in an area • Ecosystems include communities and abiotic factors • Landscapes can be thought of as a geographic region that typically includes several ecosystems • Biosphere or global ecological systems

6. Expanded Definition of Ecology Ecology is the study of how biotic and abiotic factors influence the distribution and relative abundance of organisms in ecological systems.

7. Biological measures to describe and perceive changes in forest communities • Density of specific populations • Distribution of specific populations • Dispersion of individuals in specific populations • Presence / Absence of key species • Relative abundance of key species • Diversity of key species • Associations of key species

8. Physical measurements to describe and perceive changes in forest communities • Soil attributes (e.g. pH, moisture, nutrients) • Topography • Disturbance (e.g. fire, storms, erosion, roadside, trails and unintended trails, management) • Weather and climate • Light levels

11. Observations Monitoring Experiments Simulations using computer models Phenology Long-term records or large-spatial scale comparison Effects of management on invasive & non-invasive Future projections Several Ways that Ecologists Study Ecology

12. Challenge Question You are visiting an ecological system that you haven’t seen before. A species that you would expect to see, based upon its possible distribution, is not present. Which is the more convincing explanation? • Abiotic factors, such as climate, have limited that species distribution. • Biotic factors, such as competition with another species or predation by another species, have limited that species distribution.

13. Ways that Ecologists Measure and Describe Populations • Defining the population of interest • How big is the population? • Measure or estimate number of individuals • Is the population growing or declining • How are individuals in a population dispersed? • In a particular habitat or geographic area where are the individuals spatially and with respect to each other • What are examples of abiotic and biotic drivers that might affect population size and the dispersion of the individuals?

14. Which of the following do not depict a random distribution or dispersion pattern? B A • A & B • A & C • B & C • None of the above C

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16. Subsampling using Sample Plot Example Scenario- 100 individuals found in 10- 1 m sq plots What is the population density? Density = Number in plots / Total area of plots What is the population size if the sample plots were taken from an area of 1000 m sq? Population Size = Density x Total Area

17. Measuring or Estimating Population Density • Population density = number of individuals of a species/area or volume • Complete counts of all individuals • Extrapolation based on subsampling or counts in sample plots (e.g. quadrats or transects) • Density = Number of sample plots / Total area of Plots • Population Size = Density x Total Area of Interest • Mark and recapture estimates • Population Size = Total Number Marked in Sample 1 x Total in Sample 2 / Number Marked or Recaptures in Sample 2 • Density = Total Population Size / Total Area of Interest

18. Which forest community is more diverse?

20. Would you expect an invasive organism to have more of an effect on: • Diversity within the community • Density of the populations of selected species • Distribution of individuals of selected species • Dispersion of the populations of selected species • Relative abundance of populations within the community