General Ecology : PCB 4044

This course is designed to present an introduction to current theories and practices in ecology and to teach students how to do ecological science in the field.

Students are introduced 1) to the various questions (in a broad sense) asked by ecologists, 2) to the ideas (theories, models) from which hypotheses are suggested to answer the questions, and 3) to the ways in which ecologists go about gathering data to refute or support the proposed hypotheses.

Specific ecological studies (from marine and terrestrial systems) are used to illustrate some of what has been learned about the natural world through the study of ecology. Thus, the course emphasizes the conceptual models by through which we attempt to understand complex biological systems, the facts upon which those models are based, and the processes through which we learn these facts.

Laboratory exercises will include introduction to basic methods in ecology for assessing species diversity and abundance, population dynamics, and the importance of specific interactions to community and ecosystem structure and function. In addition, students will conduct 4-5 week supervised, independent research projects on organisms found on campus (e.g. lizards, spiders, epiphytes, grasses). Students will generate their own hypotheses about the ecology of these organisms based on field observations and design experiments to test those hypotheses. TA’s and professor will provide feedback throughout this process.

Through this experience, students will learn first hand how to do ecology from step one to the end and also experience the creative aspects of being a scientist that are often left out in typical, cookie-cutter like labs.

 

Course Info:

Instructor: Dr. Brian Silliman
email: brs@ufl.edu

Office: 410 Carr Hall
Office Hours: TH: 10:45-12:15

Class Time and Place:
Lecture: Tuesday: Period 3-4, Thursday Period 3, in Bartram 211.
Laboratory: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Period 6-9, Carr 0120.

Course website

Required Text: The Economy of Nature, Robert Ricklefs.

Download course syllabus and lecture schedule for second half of course (PDF)

Labs:

Lab Website

Power Points from Lectures

1. Mating Systems in Coral Reef Fish

2. The Role of Competition in Marsh Plant Communities

3. Consumer Impacts Maine

4. Consumer Impacts Georgia

5. Mollusc Eaters

Readings for General Ecology

READING SCHEDULE

1. Estes and Plamisano 1974

2. Bertness et al 1991

3. Bertness et al 2002

4. Bruno et al 2002

5. Halpern et al 2007

6. Silliman et al 2005

7. Altieri et al 2007

8. Bertness et al 1998

9. Bertness et al 2006

10. Estes et al 1998

11.Lawler et al. 2007