Peopleing

Overfishing has become a big problem, but as yet, overpeopleing has not!

Science in the News: Mystery of the Disappearing Bees: Solved!

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/

Science in the News: An Inside Look at the One of the First Villages Forced to Relocate Due to Climate Change

http://www.alternet.org/environment/inside-look-first-village-forced-relocate-due-climate-change

Tilman's Model

Slideshow

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/tilmans-model-of-competition-for-two-resources

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

1)define ZNGI, consumption vector, supply vector, resource supply point

2)determine the outcome of competition when provided with information about ZNGIs, consumption vectors, and resource supply point.

3) distinguish between a stable and unstable equilibrium and be able to discuss why stable equilibria are particularly important outcomes from these models.

Competition in Animals and Plants

Readings

Competitive Exclusion Principle http://www.eoearth.org/article/Competitive_exclusion_principle

Resource Partitioning and Why It Matters
http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/resource-partitioning-and-why-it-matters-17362658

Slideshow

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/competition-in-animals-and-plants

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a full engaged student should be able to

1) discuss the relationship between the fundamental and realized niche

2) discuss some ways animals can partition niches

3) define and describe character displacement

4) discuss why plants and animals may not be able to partition niches in the same way

5) explain Tilman's R* model

Science in the News: While Arctic melts, Antarctic ice hits record. Is warming debunked?

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0921/While-Arctic-melts-Antarctic-ice-hits-record.-Is-warming-debunked

Science in the News: Second Gunman in Death of the Dinosaurs

http://science.time.com/2012/09/11/second-gunman-in-death-of-the-dinosaurs/?xid=newsletter-weekly

Community Ecology: The Portal Experiment

Here are some photos from the research site in Portal, Arizona. For more information about the research project at Portal you can look at their website at
http://portal.weecology.org/

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- distinguish between direct and indirect, positive and negative effects
- describe the experiemental design that Dr. Brown and his colleagues used to study exploitative competition between desert rats and rodents
- discuss the "search the the missing indirect positive effect of rodents on ants" and how that dilema was solved
-discuss why and how the outcome of studies of interactions betwen organisms can vary over time
- discuss the way that the ecological community responded when they learned the importance of long term studies
- discuss how indirect interactions lead to one of my favorite phrases "the world is complicated"

Community Ecology

Suggested Readings

Community Ecology- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Community_ecology

Competition- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Competition

Interspecific Competition- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Interspecific_competition

Exploitative Competition- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exploitative_competition

Predation- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Predation

Mutualism- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mutualism

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define competition, exploitative competition and interference competition

- identify and explain examples of exploitative and interference competition from a variety of environments

- define predation (narrow and broad sense), herbivory, and parasitms

- identify and explain examples of predation, herbivory, and parasitism from a variety of environments

- identify examples of morphological and behavioral adaptations that animals have to help capture their food

- identify examples of morphological, biochemical, or behavioral adaptations that animals have to protect them from predators

- identify and explain examples of mutualisms from a variety of habitats

- define a keystone species and an ecosystem engineer and provide examples of each.

Science in the News: Alien Snakes Help Spiders Overrun Guam

Interesting Article. We will discuss introduced species later on this semester.

http://news.yahoo.com/alien-snakes-help-spiders-overrun-guam-144144987.html

Writing Assignment #1

For this assignment I would like you to choose an audience (parents or other family members, a friend or a group of friends, co-workers. fellow classmates, a ex or current teacher, readers of the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, random people that you meet in the mall, etc.) and then explain your view of global climate change.

These papers should have three parts.

1. A short paragraph describing the audience you have chosen to write for. Provide some background about their currrent knowledge and attitude about the topic and why you chose to communicate to this audience.

2. The main body of the paper where you should explain your views of global climate change to your audience.

3. References that you used to develop your ideas.

Length: The first two sections should be limited to a maximum of three double spaced pages. I suggest that you use Times New Roman 12 point font and normal margins. You may include your references on a separate page.

Due Dates

First Draft- due Friday September 21th at the beginning of class (make sure that you have a STAPLER so that you can staple the pages together (you have just discovered one of my pet peeves!). Bring three copies of the paper to class (one copy for me and two copies for members of your "workshop" group. We will "workshop" your papers in class on Monday and final copies are due on Friday September 28rd at the beginning of class.

It is important that all work is turned in on time! (pet peeve #2)

Science in the News: Virgin Births Discovered in Wild Snakes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19555550

Dead Zones

Required Readings

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone

http://www.smm.org/deadzone/

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define "dead zones"

- discuss the causes of dead zones

- discuss some of the ecological and social problems associated with dead zones

Eutrophication

Required Readings

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Eutrophication

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Hypoxia_fact_sheet

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define eutrophication

- discuss the causes of eutrophicationb

- discuss some ecological and social results of eutrophication

- discuss mitigation of eutrophication

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: IPCC

http://www.ipcc.ch/

Over 800 scientists from around the world are currently working to develop IPCCs 5th Assessment Report.
Three working groups are planned
  1)  The Physical Science Basis 

  2) Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability 

  3)  Mitigation of Climate Change.

The Final Synthesis Report is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2014.

Ecosystem Ecology

NOTE!!! By the end of this class you should be able to discuss what is wrong with the diagram shown above!!!!!


Ecosystem ecologists focus on the flow of enery and the cycling of nutrients through the ecosystem.

Further Readings

Ecosystems- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecosystem

Ecological energetics- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecological_energetics

Nitrogen cycle- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Nitrogen_cycle

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- diagram and discuss the flow of energy through an ecosystem

- diagram, discuss the causes of, and discuss some of the implications of the enegy pyramid

- diagram nitrogen cycle within an ecosystem

- discuss the factors that influence the rate of flow from dead bodies to the soil and discuss the implications of differences in this rate

Science in the News. It's Time to Get Serious About Science

Here is a link to an article that an ex-student posted on Facebook.  Thanks Joe!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/its-time-to-get-serious-about-science/2012/09/09/5b5c1472-f129-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html

Grammar

Think about this while you are working on your papers.

Assignment #1. Science in the News. Your Turn

Hello Everyone,

I am sure that we all enjoyed our not-at-all deserved 3 day weekend.  Now it is time to get down to business.  Here is your first assignment.

1) Find an article or video that discusses some element of science dealing with the topics that we will be covering in this class (e.g., ecology and environmental issues).

2) Post a link to the article/video as a comment at the end of this post.

3) Add a short (1 paragraph) summary of the information you learned from the article.


DUE DATE:  Must Be Posted by 5 PM on Monday September 10th

Note:  As a motivation to get you to turn your work in early, there are no duplicate articles allowed.  Thus, if someone posts your article before you do you must find a new article!!

The Naturalist by Barry Lopez

Here is a link to an article written by Barry Lopez, entitled "The Naturalist", that was published in Orion Magazine in 2001.  Those of you in EVHM may have read this article in other classes, but even if you have read it before, it s worth keeping some of Barry's ideas in the back of your mind while you are taking an "Ecology" class.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/91/

Ecosystem Services

Romney's Rising Oceans Joke- http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmcquaid/2012/08/31/romneys-rising-oceans-joke/

Even though I know it is going to drive me crazy, I can't help paying attention to what is going on in the world of politics.  Of course, because we are just a couple of months away from the elections there are plenty of things going on to keep my blood pressure raised to a completely unhealthy level.

I saw the portion of Governor Romney's speech at the Republican Convention where he appeared to make fun of President Obama saying that he would "slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet" (here is where you are supposed to laugh uncontrollably and derisively if you are a Republican delegate).  Instead Gov. Romney claimed that his promise is "to help you and your family".

Not surprisingly, this clip disturbed me for a number of reasons.  Ultimately, I decided that there must have been a complete failure by the environmental education community (that includes me) for failing to (1) inform people about the important services that provided, for free, by the environment (Ecosystem Services) and (2) inform people of how human activity has affected the ability of the environment to supply these services.   Thus, the topic of Ecosystem Services suddenly got added to our syllabus for Wednesday.

However, when I reviewed my notes about this topic I rediscovered an article published by World Resources Institute entitled "Ecosystem services and human well-being synthesis: summary for decision-makers" (the link is presented below).  HA!  Thus, the information is out there for any "decision maker" that cares to have some info to make "informed decisions".


Readings

Classic Paper

The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital by Costanza et al.
NATURE |VOL 387 | 15 MAY 1997

http://www.esd.ornl.gov/benefits_conference/nature_paper.pdf

Other Readings

Biodiversity and ecosystem services- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversity_and_ecosystem_services

Marine ecosystem services- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Marine_ecosystem_services

Ecosystem services and human well-being synthesis: summary for decision-makers.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecosystems_and_Human_Well-being_Synthesis:_Summary_for_Decision-makers

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define ecosystem services

- discuss the variety of services provided by the environment

- discuss how scientists have attempted to determine the monetary value of ecosystem services

Science in the News! Strategic water plan to look at conservation, expanding resources

Hello Everyone.

Here is a link to an article from today's Lubbock Avalanche Journal.  It presents a disturbing perspective about the future of water availability in Lubbock.

http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2012-09-02/strategic-water-plan-look-conservation-expanding-resources?v=#.UETJctZmRWY

FYI- The photos at the top show the decrease in size of Lake Meredith, source of some of Lubbock's water, during the current drought.