F&W ECOL 318 - Exam 1

Aldo Leopold

• Chair of Game Management at UW-Madison in 1933

• Founder of UW’s Wildlife Academic Program

• First Professor of F&W ECOL 318

• Author of Game Management and A Sand County Almanac

• Wilderness Advocate that supported Habitat Conservation

• One of the first to apply the science of ecology to the practice of conservation.

• Started as a Forester

• Believed that we must give wildlife what it needs to thrive.

The Shack

A former chicken coop bought by Aldo Leopold during the Great Depression, which he used as a family retreat and where he did much of his writing.

Ecology

The Study of the…

• Economy of Nature

• Structure & Function in Nature

• Distribution & Abundance of Organisms

• Adaptations of Organisms to their Environment

• Relationships between Organisms and their Environment

Wildlife

Primarily Undomesticated Terrestrial Vertebrates

Definition of Wildlife Ecology

The applied ecology of wild terrestrial vertebrates and their plant and animal associates, as well as the science behind the practice of wildlife management.

Basic Science

Science that increases knowledge & understanding of the universe without immediate benefit or practical application.

Applied Science

Science motivated by a specific need for information.

Basic Ecology

The Study of Ecology with a Primarily Evolutionary Perspective

Applied Ecology Examples

• Natural Resource Management

• Conservation Biology

• Restoration Ecology

• Landscape Ecology

• Agroecology

• Urban Ecology

Definition of Wildlife Management

The art and science of manipulating populations, habitats, and people to achieve some desired outcome.

Goals of Wildlife Management

• Increase Rare or Threatened Species

• Decrease Overabundant, Invasive, or Nuisance Species

• Stabilize Sustainable Harvest of Game Species

• Monitor & Simply Keep Track of Species

Levels of Organization in Ecology

• Individual Organism

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Biosphere

Individual Organism Ecology

Interactions between Individual Organisms and their Biological & Physical Environment

Individual Organism Properties

• Genotype

• Phenotype

• Physiology

• Morphology

• Anatomy

• Behavior

Population

Group of Individuals of the Same Species in the Same Area at the Same Time

Population Dynamics

Changes in Population Size Over Time

Population Properties

• Size

• Density

• Geographic Range

• Gender Ratio

• Age Structure

• Birth & Death Rates

• Immigration & Emigration Rates

Community

Group of Interacting Species in the Same Area at the Same Time

Community Interaction Examples

• Interspecific Competition (Negative-Negative)

• Predation (Negative-Positive)

• Mutualism (Positive-Positive)

Succession

Variation Over Time in a Community or Ecosystem

Community Properties

• Food Chains & Webs

• Composition

• Structure

• Species Richness: Total # of Species

• Relative Abundance Pattern

• Diversity

• Stability: Resistance to Change & Disturbances

Ecosystem

All Organisms in an Area and their Physical Environment

Biotic Factors

Factors related to Living Organisms

Abiotic Factors

• Soil

• Water

• Climate

• Geology

• Etc.

Ecosystem Properties

• Biotic & Abiotic Factors

• Energy Production

• Nutrient Cycling

• Carbon Sequestration

• Ecosystem Services