Ecobiology 1 (Ecology)
This course is designed to be an introductory level survey of the general principles and topics in the field of ecology (the branch of biology concerned with the relationships between organisms and their environment), with an emphasis on the ecology of the Sonoran Desert bioregion. The goal of the course is to understand and appreciate the beautiful complexity of earth’s ecosystems- including the one right here on our own campus- and then examine how human actions are altering or disrupting their balance. Additionally, the course will examine the human view of nature and natural ecosystems, and explore the practices of, changing views on, and ethics of conservation.
Unit One: Introduction to Ecology
Objectives:
Overview of the study of ecology and how it is conducted, study ecological levels of organization, food chains and food webs, analyze how energy flows through an ecosystem
Handouts/ Materials:
Course Syllabus, 'What is Ecology?', 'Levels of Organization', Ecosystem Pyramid Group Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
What is Ecology? Questions, Food Chain Activity, Levels of Organization Reading Activity, Levels of Organization Questions, Home Transect Lists Assignment, Ecosystem Pyramid Group Project, Binder Check 1, Unit Quiz One
Supplementary Links:
Good website that explains ecology and how an ecosystem works
Why Biosphere 2 failed
Great white sharks are terrified of orcas- the real apex predators
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Overview of the study of ecology and how it is conducted, study ecological levels of organization, food chains and food webs, analyze how energy flows through an ecosystem
Handouts/ Materials:
Course Syllabus, 'What is Ecology?', 'Levels of Organization', Ecosystem Pyramid Group Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
What is Ecology? Questions, Food Chain Activity, Levels of Organization Reading Activity, Levels of Organization Questions, Home Transect Lists Assignment, Ecosystem Pyramid Group Project, Binder Check 1, Unit Quiz One
Supplementary Links:
Good website that explains ecology and how an ecosystem works
Why Biosphere 2 failed
Great white sharks are terrified of orcas- the real apex predators
Supplementary Films:
|
|
Unit Two: Ecological Relationships
Objectives:
Differentiate between abiotic and biotic factors, introduce the concept of the niche, examine the different types of symbiotic relationships; analyze the evolution of species using Darwin’s theories of adaptation and natural selection, study examples of species adaptations
Handouts/ Materials:
'What Shapes an Ecosystem?', 'The Concept of the Niche in Greater Detail', 'The Puzzle of Life's Diversity', 'Darwin Presents His Case', 'The Process of Speciation', 'Plant and Animal Adaptations to the Desert',
Assignments/ Activities:
What Shapes an Ecosystem? Questions, Planet Earth: From Pole to Pole Questions, The Concept of the Niche Questions, Life in the Undergrowth: Intimate Relations Questions, Binder Check 2, Midterm Exam, Darwin's Theories Questions, Desert Adaptations Questions, Planet Earth: Deserts Questions
Supplementary Links:
Interesting article about how limpets in intertidal zones are a keystone species
Excellent video on the different community interactions
Another one specific to the types of symbiosis
We couldn't have figs without wasps- a guide to mutualism
Interesting article about 'firehawks' in Australia that actively spread forest fires by carrying burning sticks
The most valuable parasite in the world is in trouble
How parasites create zombies
How mussels fool fish into carrying their parasitic babies
Why the world needs bloodsucking creatures
Parasites are going extinct- here's why we need to save them
Parasitic plants conspire to keep hosts alive
Infected zombie spiders forced to build incubation chambers for their parasitic overlords
Parasitic Crypt-Keeper Wasp manipulates the minds of 7 different species
How did 500 species of fish form in a lake?
2 billion years ago, 99% of all life died
The Permian extinction- 'the Great Dying'
Scientists find fossils from the last day of the Cretaceous Period
Another article about this incredible find
Dinosaurs may have survived extinction if the asteroid had hit anywhere else
Revisiting the last 5 mass extinctions
Are we in a mass extinction right now? Here's the evidence
Here's how insects coax plants into making galls
The 40 most extreme animals on the planet
Did moths across Britain evolve darker colors as a result of pollution?
DNA testing reveals baffling bird species is really three species in one
Bizarre microbes represent a new branch on the evolutionary tree
These sharks have evolved to walk on land- and they did it quickly
A wild discovery about fungi just changed Earth's evolutionary timeline
How rattlesnakes collect water in the desert
Weird plant circles popping up around the world predicted by mathematicians in the 1950s
6 creatures who steal others' looks
This spider uses 'corpse cosplay' as a Batesian mimicry tactic
This fungus makes convincing fake flowers from scratch
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Differentiate between abiotic and biotic factors, introduce the concept of the niche, examine the different types of symbiotic relationships; analyze the evolution of species using Darwin’s theories of adaptation and natural selection, study examples of species adaptations
Handouts/ Materials:
'What Shapes an Ecosystem?', 'The Concept of the Niche in Greater Detail', 'The Puzzle of Life's Diversity', 'Darwin Presents His Case', 'The Process of Speciation', 'Plant and Animal Adaptations to the Desert',
Assignments/ Activities:
What Shapes an Ecosystem? Questions, Planet Earth: From Pole to Pole Questions, The Concept of the Niche Questions, Life in the Undergrowth: Intimate Relations Questions, Binder Check 2, Midterm Exam, Darwin's Theories Questions, Desert Adaptations Questions, Planet Earth: Deserts Questions
Supplementary Links:
Interesting article about how limpets in intertidal zones are a keystone species
Excellent video on the different community interactions
Another one specific to the types of symbiosis
We couldn't have figs without wasps- a guide to mutualism
Interesting article about 'firehawks' in Australia that actively spread forest fires by carrying burning sticks
The most valuable parasite in the world is in trouble
How parasites create zombies
How mussels fool fish into carrying their parasitic babies
Why the world needs bloodsucking creatures
Parasites are going extinct- here's why we need to save them
Parasitic plants conspire to keep hosts alive
Infected zombie spiders forced to build incubation chambers for their parasitic overlords
Parasitic Crypt-Keeper Wasp manipulates the minds of 7 different species
How did 500 species of fish form in a lake?
2 billion years ago, 99% of all life died
The Permian extinction- 'the Great Dying'
Scientists find fossils from the last day of the Cretaceous Period
Another article about this incredible find
Dinosaurs may have survived extinction if the asteroid had hit anywhere else
Revisiting the last 5 mass extinctions
Are we in a mass extinction right now? Here's the evidence
Here's how insects coax plants into making galls
The 40 most extreme animals on the planet
Did moths across Britain evolve darker colors as a result of pollution?
DNA testing reveals baffling bird species is really three species in one
Bizarre microbes represent a new branch on the evolutionary tree
These sharks have evolved to walk on land- and they did it quickly
A wild discovery about fungi just changed Earth's evolutionary timeline
How rattlesnakes collect water in the desert
Weird plant circles popping up around the world predicted by mathematicians in the 1950s
6 creatures who steal others' looks
This spider uses 'corpse cosplay' as a Batesian mimicry tactic
This fungus makes convincing fake flowers from scratch
Supplementary Films:
|
|
Unit Three: Populations and Limiting Factors
Objectives:
Understand how populations grow and change over time, discuss the concept of carrying capacity, analyze the different limits to population growth in an ecosystem (including limiting nutrients and limiting factors), look at different types of ecological succession
Handouts/ Materials:
'How Populations Grow', 'Ecological Succession'
Assignments/ Activities:
Rabbits and Population Growth Worksheet, Predator/ Prey Activity, How Populations Grow Questions, Ecological Succession Questions, Binder Check 3, Unit Quiz Two
Supplementary Links:
Northern California's kelp forests decimated by sea urchins
Sea otters saving kelp forests from hordes of urchins
Article about how pandemics could affect the global human population- written before 2020
Massive termite populations built a structure the size of Great Britain
Where to see the oldest living things on Earth
Saguaros are showing low reproductive numbers
California's wildfires are the doom of our own making
Krakatoa is still active, and we are not ready
Did the dinosaur-killing asteroid help lichens?
Texas-sized floating pumice raft could help heal the Great Barrier Reef
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Understand how populations grow and change over time, discuss the concept of carrying capacity, analyze the different limits to population growth in an ecosystem (including limiting nutrients and limiting factors), look at different types of ecological succession
Handouts/ Materials:
'How Populations Grow', 'Ecological Succession'
Assignments/ Activities:
Rabbits and Population Growth Worksheet, Predator/ Prey Activity, How Populations Grow Questions, Ecological Succession Questions, Binder Check 3, Unit Quiz Two
Supplementary Links:
Northern California's kelp forests decimated by sea urchins
Sea otters saving kelp forests from hordes of urchins
Article about how pandemics could affect the global human population- written before 2020
Massive termite populations built a structure the size of Great Britain
Where to see the oldest living things on Earth
Saguaros are showing low reproductive numbers
California's wildfires are the doom of our own making
Krakatoa is still active, and we are not ready
Did the dinosaur-killing asteroid help lichens?
Texas-sized floating pumice raft could help heal the Great Barrier Reef
Supplementary Films:
|
|
Unit Four: Biodiversity and its Threats
Objectives:
Overview of biodiversity, the types of biodiversity, and why biodiversity is important to an ecosystem as well as to humanity, look at the different threats to biodiversity in detail (using both global and local examples), discuss the concept of sustainable use, overview of conservation and conservation practices, understand the concept of the land ethic and ethical arguments for conservation
Handouts/ Materials:
'Biodiversity', 'Conservation of Biodiversity', 'Local Case Studies in Conservation: The Upper Gulf of California', 'The Philosophy and Ethics of Conservation', Biome Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
Biodiversity Questions, Conservation of Biodiversity Reading Activity, Conservation of Biodiversity Questions, Case Studies in Conservation Activity, Upper Gulf Conservation Questions, Biome Project, Binder Check 4, Final Exam, Course Evaluation
Supplementary Links:
Excellent PBS video on the importance of biodiversity
The US loses a football field-sized patch of nature every 30 seconds
Good article and video on the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon, and other over hunted species
How we killed off the Carolina Parakeet
Under poaching pressure, elephants are evolving to lose their tusks
The technology that will finally stop poachers
The fight to stop the world's most trafficked wild commodity
Medicinal plant may have evolved to hide from human collectors
Database of invasive/ introduced species in the US
Global database of invasive/ introduced species
Good CBS video and article on the threat of invasive species
Top ten worst invasive species
Invasive buffelgrass is overwhelming US deserts, providing fuel for unnatural wildfires
Just five countries control most of the world's remaining wilderness
The ozone hole is healing, but it's not all good news
How Amazon forest loss can affect water and climate far away
Showing gratitude for the scavengers and pollinators that keep our planet healthy
Plant species are disappearing 500 times faster than normal
This is an extinction crisis, and some species are loving it
CO2 levels are the highest they've been in over 3 million years
5 famous environmental disasters where humans and Nature healed together
Yearly top ten newly-discovered species (as well as an archive of past years)
Animals that almost no one has ever seen
New species of giant salamander found in Florida
Scientists found 71 new species in 2019 alone
Interesting article about the humongous fungus
Copper mines vs conservation
16,000 scientists send dire climate warning
Where we are on climate change in 7 charts- and what you can do to help
Half of all land must be protected in order to save the planet's species
How to save prairies- a vital weapon against climate change
The fight to save Appalachia's wild ginseng
How we saved the living fossil Gingko tree from extinction
Fight over wolves divides ranchers and conservationists
Rarest wolf subspecies in North America sees population almost double in 5 years
African lodges leading the way in conservation
Why a new jaguar sighting at the border gives experts hope
Learn more about Upper Gulf conservation by visiting CEDO's website
This country gave all its rivers legal rights
Humans used to be good for the planet, and we can be again
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Overview of biodiversity, the types of biodiversity, and why biodiversity is important to an ecosystem as well as to humanity, look at the different threats to biodiversity in detail (using both global and local examples), discuss the concept of sustainable use, overview of conservation and conservation practices, understand the concept of the land ethic and ethical arguments for conservation
Handouts/ Materials:
'Biodiversity', 'Conservation of Biodiversity', 'Local Case Studies in Conservation: The Upper Gulf of California', 'The Philosophy and Ethics of Conservation', Biome Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
Biodiversity Questions, Conservation of Biodiversity Reading Activity, Conservation of Biodiversity Questions, Case Studies in Conservation Activity, Upper Gulf Conservation Questions, Biome Project, Binder Check 4, Final Exam, Course Evaluation
Supplementary Links:
Excellent PBS video on the importance of biodiversity
The US loses a football field-sized patch of nature every 30 seconds
Good article and video on the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon, and other over hunted species
How we killed off the Carolina Parakeet
Under poaching pressure, elephants are evolving to lose their tusks
The technology that will finally stop poachers
The fight to stop the world's most trafficked wild commodity
Medicinal plant may have evolved to hide from human collectors
Database of invasive/ introduced species in the US
Global database of invasive/ introduced species
Good CBS video and article on the threat of invasive species
Top ten worst invasive species
Invasive buffelgrass is overwhelming US deserts, providing fuel for unnatural wildfires
Just five countries control most of the world's remaining wilderness
The ozone hole is healing, but it's not all good news
How Amazon forest loss can affect water and climate far away
Showing gratitude for the scavengers and pollinators that keep our planet healthy
Plant species are disappearing 500 times faster than normal
This is an extinction crisis, and some species are loving it
CO2 levels are the highest they've been in over 3 million years
5 famous environmental disasters where humans and Nature healed together
Yearly top ten newly-discovered species (as well as an archive of past years)
Animals that almost no one has ever seen
New species of giant salamander found in Florida
Scientists found 71 new species in 2019 alone
Interesting article about the humongous fungus
Copper mines vs conservation
16,000 scientists send dire climate warning
Where we are on climate change in 7 charts- and what you can do to help
Half of all land must be protected in order to save the planet's species
How to save prairies- a vital weapon against climate change
The fight to save Appalachia's wild ginseng
How we saved the living fossil Gingko tree from extinction
Fight over wolves divides ranchers and conservationists
Rarest wolf subspecies in North America sees population almost double in 5 years
African lodges leading the way in conservation
Why a new jaguar sighting at the border gives experts hope
Learn more about Upper Gulf conservation by visiting CEDO's website
This country gave all its rivers legal rights
Humans used to be good for the planet, and we can be again
Supplementary Films:
|
|