Animal Ecology

Donald Winslow, Zoology

26 January 2011

Ecology (Ernst Haeckel)

• An organism’s relationship to its biotic and abiotic environment.

• Ecologists study factors that affect spatial distribution and abundance of organisms.

Biological hierarchy

• Cell

• Tissue

• Organ

• Organ system

• Organism

• Population

• Community

Nine-banded armadillo

Ecological hierarchy

• Organism

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Landscape

• Biome

• Biosphere Agricultural corridor within forested landscape in southern Indiana.

A population

American coots (Fulica americana) at Lake Thunderbird. Photo by Zac Ottis

A community

Ruddy Ducks and Eared Grebes at Great Salt Plains Lake

Coast Live Oak forest at Camp San Luis Obispo, California

An ecosystem

(biotic and abiotic components interacting)

A landscape

Coastal oak woodland and chaparral at Camp San Luis Obispo in California

A biome

Sonoran desert near Phoenix, Arizona

Broad fields in ecology

• Physiological ecology

• Population ecology

• Community ecology

• Ecosystem ecology

• Landscape ecology

• Biogeography

Physiological ecology

• Energy budgets

• Endothermy – Metabolic thermoregulation (bird or mammal)

• Ectothermy– Behavioral thermoregulation (e.g. reptile)

Population ecology

• Demes and metapopulations

• Demographic parameters

• Population dynamics and regulation– Role of resources

• Metapopulation dynamics– sources & sinks

A metapopulation

Source

Sink

Demographic parameters

• Population abundance and density

• Age structure

• Sex ratio

• Growth rate

• Survivorship

Age structures of human populations in Afghanistan and Belgium

From Hickman, et al. 2006. Integrated Principles of Zoology, 13th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.

Exponential and logistic models of population growth

From Hickman, et al. 2006. Integrated Principles of Zoology, 13th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.

Community ecology

• Species interactions– Competition

• Niche, tolerance ranges, habitat

– Predation & parasitism• Models & mimics• Keystone species—starfish & mussels

• Species diversity

Ecosystem ecology

• Gross and net productivity

• Trophic levels and food webs

• Producers, consumers, decomposers