Activities, discussion leader, and required discussion readings

Readings

August 17

Introduction to course; Population growth and regulation  (PPT)

General syllabus

Reading the literature (pdf)

Homework 0 (timescale issues: fluctuations in K)

Review general ecology text on population growth and density-dependence or read Ch1&2 of Gotelli

Other useful resources:

--EcoEvoApps (web-based simulations for various ecological and evolutionary systems)

--Corrections and webapps for Community Ecology (Mittelbach and McGill)

 

August 22

Pop growth, continued

go over HW0

 

same as above

 

 

August 24

Demographic and environmental stochasticity and demographic heterogeneity (PPT);

Homework 1 (Ricker analysis; due on day of next class before 9am)

same as above

A useful resource:

Global Population Dynamics Database (GPDD)

August 29

Stage-structured dynamics (PPT)

go over HW1

Gotelli: Ch 3

August 31

Applications: Stage-structure Part II (PPT)

HW2 (Proj matrix)

Class discussion: (led by Craig)

Vonesh and de la Cruz 2002 (pdf)

For this an all future readings, please email responses to these prompts by 9am the day of discussion to Craig and the Discussion leaders:

1. What is the primary take-home message of the paper?

2. What is one issue/approach/question/confusion raised in the paper that you found "unsatisfying" or with which you disagreed?

3. Explain your answer to #2.

4. Identify one insight from the paper that changed your perspective about ecology?

Gotelli: Ch 4

Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 12 (pp 249-257)

September 05

Metapopulations  (PPT)

go over HW2

See previous class

A useful resource:

Matrix Database (COM(P)ADRE)

September 07

Metabolic Theory of Ecology

HW3  (metapop)

Class discussion -- Discussion leaders: Nicholas, Abdul, Henry

Peres et al. 2003 (PDF)

Brown et al. 2004 - MacArthur Address (PDF)

Ancillary:

Brown et al. 2004 - Special Feature (responses to above paper) (PDF)

September 12

Foraging theory  (PPT)

go over HW3

Stephens and Krebs 1986 - Ch 2 (PDF)
Charnov 1976 (PDF)
Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 6

Ancillary readings:

Mittelbach 1981 (PDF)
Osenberg and Mittelbach 1989 (PDF)

September 14

Habitat quality, Cryptic density-dependence, Ideal Free Distribution  (PPT)

We did not cover this -- we'll do it later....

HW4  (source-sink & OFT)

Class discussion -- Andrew and Gbenga

Fox et al 2017 (pdf)

Shima and Osenberg 2003 (PDF)

September 19

Evolution (PPT)

go over HW4

 

Drake (chapter); you also should review basics from other sources

September 21

Exam 1 (take it)

HW5  (pop gen)

None

September 26

No lecture today...

go over HW5 and Exam 1

None today

September 28

Competition / Lotka-Volterra  (PPT)
Resource-based competition  (PPT)

Class discussion -- Anna, Christian, Emma

Johnston and Post 2009 (PDF

Gotelli - Ch 5 (PDF) and/or Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 7

Tilman 1982 - Ch 3 & 4 (PDF); and/or Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 7

Ancillary Reading: 

Tilman 1977 (PDF)

October 03

Craig is ill; watch videos from last year on eLC...

Resource-based competition - continued (PPT)
Competition Experiments (PPT) 

 

none

none

October 05 (Craig out of town)

Craig is out of town; you will watch videos from last year (via eLC)

1) u/g, CDD, and IFD;
2) Competition Experiments (unless we did it already)
(these are recordings from past years)

HW6  (ZNGIs)

none

see prior weeks

October 10

Predator-prey dynamics (PPT)

go over HW06

Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 5

Ancillary reading: 

Gotelli - Ch 6 (PDF)

 

October 12

Predator-prey (data, additional factors) (PPT)

Class discussion -- Ben, James, Kane

Miller 1994 (PDF)

HW7  (pred-prey & phase planes)

same as above

October 17

Coexistence mechanisms (PPT)

 

go over HW7

Mittelbach and McGill (Ch 8 (all) & 15 (pp 287-297)

Ancillary reading:

McPeek 2012 (PDF)

Tilman 1982 - Ch 5 (PDF)

Chesson 2000 (PDF)

Chesson 2008 (PDF)

 

October 19

Coexistence (continued)

Class discussion -- Anna, Christian, Emma

Arditi & Saiah 1992 (PDF) -- please also skim Arditi et al. 1991

HW8  (primary paper summary)

same as above

October 24

Exam 2 (take it)

[Not covered: Disease ecology (PPT)]

None

[not required yet: Drake chapter (PDF)]

October 26

Indirect effects and higher order interactions (PPT)

Class discussion -- Andrew, Ben, Nicholas

Davis et al. 2010 (PDF)

HW9 (SIR)

Mittelbach and McGill (pp 136-138; Ch 10 & 11)

Ancillary reading:

Wootton 1994 (PDF)

October 31

HSS, Oksanen, trophic cascades (PPT)

go over HW 9

Mittelbach - Ch 11 (PDF)

Ancillary reading:

Hairston et al 1960 (PDF)

Oksanen et al. 1981 (PDF)

Osenberg and Mittelbach 1996 (PDF)

November 02

Alternative stable states, tipping points, and phase shifts (PPT)

Class discussion -- Gbenga, Henry, James

Fox 2023 (PDF)

HW10 (1pred-2prey dynamics)

Mittelbach - Ch 14 (PDF)

Ancillary reading:

Scheffer and Carpenter 2003 (PDF)

November 07

Biodiversity and ecosystem function  (PPT)

go over HW10

Mittelbach - Ch 2 & 3 (PDF)

November 09

Communities in space  (PPT)

Class discussion -- Kane and Abdul

Frund et al 2013 (PDF)

HW11 (cool papers) & HW12 (exam questions)

Mittelbach - Ch 13 (PDF)

November 14

TBD

Presentations of the "most interesting papers"  (HW11; PPT)

TBD

November 16

NA

Presentations of the "most interesting papers"  (HW11; PPT) - continued

None

November 21

NA

Review for Exam 3: discussion of student-defined problems (HW12; PPT)

NA

November 28

NA

Review for Exam 3: (HW 12 continued)

NA

November 30

NA

Exam 3 (take it)

NA