What is Ecology?

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

a science studying the interactions between organisms and the environment

Question 2

What are the components of environment?

Answer 2

2 components: biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living)

Question 3

Order the 4 hierarchical levels of ecology from largest to smallest

Answer 3

ecosystem > community > population > organism

Question 4

What is organismal ecology?

Answer 4

how individual organisms meet the challenges of the environment

Question 5

What is an example of organismal ecology?

Answer 5

marine organisms optimizing their salt update and water loss

Question 6

What is a population?

Answer 6

a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area

Question 7

What is population ecology?

Answer 7

factors that affect population size and distribution

Question 8

What is an example of population ecology?

Answer 8

over-harvesting, captive breeding programs, etc.

Question 9

What is a community?

Answer 9

group of populations of different species living in the same area

Question 10

What is community ecology?

Answer 10

studies the interactions between species

Question 11

What are the 3 big interactions between species?

Answer 11

predation, competition, mutualism

Question 12

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 12

a biological community and its interactions with the abiotic world

Question 13

What is ecosystem ecology?

Answer 13

energy flow and nutrient cycling

Question 14

What is an example of ecosystem ecology?

Answer 14

the carbon cycle (nutrient cycling) and the trophic pyramid (energy flow)

Question 15

What are the 2 approaches to science?

Answer 15

reductionism and holism

Question 16

What is reductionism?

Answer 16

seeking answers lower in the hierarchy, focusing more on the physical and literal

Question 17

What are the negative connotations of reductionism?

Answer 17

the reductionist approach can be seen as too narrow outside of science (ex. only using drugs to stop an illness)

Question 17

What is holism?

Answer 17

seeking answers at the same or higher level, focusing more on the possible and psychological (in applicable cases)

Question 18

What are the negative connotations of holism?

Answer 18

the holistic approach can be seen as touchy/feely and not super intelligent outside of science

Question 19

What is ecosystem thinking?

Answer 19

thinking about the whole and connections
(thinking about reductionism, holism, and connections at the same time)

Question 20

What is Holism or Systems thinking?

Answer 20

study of the connections between parts

Question 21

What are some characteristics of Holism or Systems thinking?

Answer 21

aware of unintended consequences (ex. using DBT to kill bugs, but the chemical also kills birds unintentionally)

search for emergent properties → invisible to the reductionist
(looking for more than just the sum of the parts)

Question 22

What are emergent properties?

Answer 22

properties that are not evident in the individual components of a system, but show up when combining those components, so they might also be called surprises

Question 23

What are the emergent properties of human beings?

Answer 23

personality, aptitudes, agility, etc.

Question 24

What are some effective ways to know about the natural world and its problems?

Answer 24

Science and Indigenous world views