Unit one

What Is Ecology?

What will we study?

What exactly do we need to know?

Ecology

     The study of relationships that exist between living and nonliving things in the environment

This means we will study

      Mammalian species

    Mammals (warm blooded animals identified by their fur and live birth)

    Mammology

      Avian Species

    Birds- animals identified by their feathers and their ability to fly and lay  eggs.

    Ornithology

      Reptilian species (and amphibian)

    Reptiles and amphibians are identified by their need for water to survive and laying eggs

    Herpetology

      Fish species,

    identified by their complete life of water

    Icthyology

      Trees-

    Dendrology

    you will have to identify over 25 trees by sight, common name and scientific name

      Compass-

    A directional tool used to locate a certain point on a map

    you will learn how to measure distance by walking,

    you will know the proper way to use a compass

      Rope tying

    will learn about 20 different rope tying strategies and their names

      Endangered species

    knowing the difference between stable, vulnerable, threatened, endangered and extinct

    You will also learn the causes of endangerment

      Forestry

    anything dealing with the conservation and change of our forests

What you need to know

      Scientific names of all animals and plants covered in class.  This will usually include the Family, Genus and Species

      HARDEST PART OF CLASS

      You will need to be able to properly use all tools that are used in class

   densiometer, compass, tree bore, rope, ...

      You will need to understand the proper changes and the terminology of populations and there importance in there environment.

   Immigration, Emigration, death rate, birth rate...

Questions for Thought

      1.     Is it important to define a scientific subject before one can begin to discuss it?

Questions for Thought

      2.    How much do you think that the science of Ecology depended upon prior advancements in other sciences such as statistics, chemistry, physics and computing?

Journal

      Ask three of your friends not taking ecology, how they would define ecology.  Write down their response and compare each of them 

Ecology terminology

ecologist

      A scientist who studies the interactions that occur within the biosphere

biosphere

      The part of Earth where there are living organisms

biome

      A large region that has its own typical flora and fauna

ecosystem

      All the living and nonliving things that interact within a certain area;

      a web of life

environment

      An organisms surroundings

fieldwork

      The study of animal and plant species in their natural settings

hypothesis

      A proposed solution to a problem or answer to a question

Interspecies interactions

      An interaction that occurs among members of different species

Intraspecies interaction

      An interaction among members of the same species

observation

      Information gathered directly by the senses, by measurements, or by experiments

sampling

      Collecting data in a small area which is represented of the entire range.

species

      A group of similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

theory

      A logical explanation of an event that is based on facts that were gathered

kingdoms

      The largest group of living things

Phylum

      The largest group within a kingdom

Class

      The largest group within a phylum

order

      The largest group within a class

Family

      The largest group within a order

      always capitalized

Genus

      The largest group within a Family

      Always capitalized

species

      The largest group within a Genus

      Always lower case letters

      can go into subspecies and lower but we will not be using them

taxonomy

      The method of classifying organisms according to common characteristics and evolutionary relationships.