Activities, discussion leader, and required discussion readings

Readings

August 14

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 19

Pop growth, continued

go over HW0

 

same as above

 

 

August 21

Demographic and environmental stochasticity and demographic heterogeneity (PPT);

Homework 1 (Ricker analysis; due on day of next class before 830am)

same as above

A useful resource:

Global Population Dynamics Database (GPDD)

August 26

Stage-structured dynamics (PPT)

go over HW1

Gotelli: Ch 3

August 28

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 02

Metapopulations  (PPT)

go over HW2

See previous class

A useful resource:

Matrix Database (COM(P)ADRE)

September 04

Metabolic Theory of Ecology

HW3  (metapop)

Class discussion -- Discussion leaders: Justin, Maya, Katherine

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 09

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 11

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

HW4  (source-sink & OFT)

Class discussion -- Addie, Karin, Lucia

Fox et al 2017 (pdf)

Shima and Osenberg 2003 (PDF)

September 16

Evolution (PPT)

go over HW4

 

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

September 18

Exam 1 (take it)

HW5  (pop gen)

None

September 23

Species interactions

go over  Exam 1 and HW5

None today

September 25

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

Class discussion -- Bell, Margaret, Marisa

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)

September 30

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

 

Go over HW05b

nothing new

October 02

Predator-prey dynamics (PPT)

Class discussion -- Hannah, Alison, Karin

Miller 1994 (PDF)

HW6 (ZNGIs)

Mittelbach and McGill - Ch 5

Ancillary reading: 

Gotelli - Ch 6 (PDF)

 

October 07

Predator-prey (data, additional factors) (PPT

go over HW06

same as above

October 09

Coexistence mechanisms (PPT)

 

Class discussion -- Addie, Maya

Hatton et al 2024 (just parts of it) (PDF)

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 14

Coexistence (continued)

go over HW7

same as above

October 16

Disease ecology (PPT)

Class discussion -- Hannah, Bell, Viviana

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

HW8  (primary paper summary)

Drake chapter on disease ecology (PDF)

October 21

Indirect effects and higher order interactions (PPT)

Guest Lecturer: Kelsey Vaughn

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

Ancillary reading:

Wootton 1994 (PDF)

October 23

Exam 2 (take it)

Class discussion -- none

HW9 (SIR)

none

October 28

HSS, Oksanen, trophic cascades (PPT)

go over HW 9 and Exam 2

Mittelbach - Ch 11 (PDF)

Ancillary reading:

Hairston et al 1960 (PDF)

Oksanen et al. 1981 (PDF)

Osenberg and Mittelbach 1996 (PDF)

October 30

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

Class discussion -- Katherine, Margaret

Davis et al 2010 (PDF)

HW10 (1pred-2prey dynamics)

Mittelbach - Ch 14 (PDF)

Ancillary reading:

Scheffer and Carpenter 2003 (PDF)

November 04

Biodiversity and ecosystem function  (PPT)

go over HW10

Mittelbach - Ch 2 & 3 (PDF)

November 06

Communities in space  (PPT)

Class discussion -- Lucia, Alison

Fox 2023 (PDF)

HW11 (cool papers) & HW12 (exam questions)

Mittelbach - Ch 13 (PDF)

November 11

NA

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

None

November 13

NA

Class discussion -- Marisa, Justin, Viviana

Frund et al 2013 (PDF)

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

None (other than for discussion)

November 18

NA

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

None

November 20

NA

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

NA

November 25

Exam 3 (take it)

NA