Activities, discussion leader, and required discussion readings

Readings

August 15

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 20

Pop growth, continued

go over HW0

 

same as above

 

 

August 22

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 27

Stage-structured dynamics (PPT)

go over HW1

Gotelli: Ch 3

August 29

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)

Ancillary reading:

Crouse et al. (1987)

September 03

Metapopulations  (PPT)

go over HW2

See previous class

A useful resource:

Matrix Database (COM(P)ADRE)

September 05

Metabolic Theory of Ecology

HW3  (metapop)

Class discussion -- Discussion leaders: Sydney, Michael, Andrea

Peres et al. 2003 (PDF)

Brown et al. 2004 - MacArthur Address (PDF)

Ancillary:

Brown et al. 2004 - Special Feature (responses to above paper) (PDF)
Bernhardt et al. (2018)

 

 

September 10

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 12

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

HW4  (source-sink & OFT)

Class discussion -- Basil, Henry, Daniel

Fox et al 2017 (pdf)

Shima and Osenberg 2003 (PDF)

September 17

Evolution (PPT) - NOT covered this year

go over HW4

 

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

September 19

Exam 1 (take it)

HW5  (pop gen) -- NOT done this year

None

September 24

Species interactions

go over  Exam 1

None today

September 26 [UGA was closed due to Hurricane Helene]

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

Class discussion -- Audrey, Aarya

Johnston and Post 2009 (PDF)

HW05b (Lotka-Volterra)

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 01

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

 

Go over HW05b

nothing new

October 03

Predator-prey dynamics (PPT)

Class discussion -- Nuzha, Michael

Miller 1994 (PDF)

HW6 (ZNGIs)

Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 5

Ancillary reading: 

Gotelli - Ch 6 (PDF)

 

October 08

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

For this week, Craig was out of the office (medical), so you should watch videos from prior years (skipping over material we've alread covered):  in eLC under "2023", please watch the videos named:

 8310-2021-tilman 2

Comp expt

8310-2023-10-10

8310-2023-10-12

go over HW06

same as above

October 10

Coexistence mechanisms (PPT)

 

Class discussion -- (rescheduled)

HW7  (pred-prey & phase planes)

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 15

Coexistence (continued)

go over HW7

same as above

October 17

Disease ecology (PPT)

Class discussion -- Andrea, Eiiot

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

HW8  (primary paper summary)

Drake chapter on disease ecology (PDF)

October 22

Exam 2 (take it)

None

October 24

Indirect effects and higher order interactions (PPT)

Go over Exam 2

Class discussion -- Maddy, Audrey

Davis et al. 2010 (PDF)

HW9 (SIR)

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

Ancillary reading:

Wootton 1994 (PDF)

October 29

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)

October 31

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

Class discussion -- Nuzha, Basil

Fox 2023 (PDF)

HW10 (1pred-2prey dynamics)

Mittelbach - Ch 14 (PDF)

Ancillary reading:

Scheffer and Carpenter 2003 (PDF)

November 05

Biodiversity and ecosystem function  (PPT)

go over HW10

Mittelbach - Ch 2 & 3 (PDF)

November 07

Communities in space  (PPT)

Class discussion -- Sydney, Aarya, Daniel

Frund et al 2013 (PDF)

HW11 (cool papers) & HW12 (exam questions)

Mittelbach - Ch 13 (PDF)

November 12

NA

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

None

November 14

NA

Class discussion -- Eliot, Henry, Maddy

Hatton et al 2024 (PDF)

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

None (other than for discussion)

November 19

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 26

Exam 3 (take it)

NA