How Do We Study and Understand Diversity

• Ecology and Genetics are the primary avenues• Ecology – study of interactions of organisms

with environment and with other organisms• Interactions – potential selective forces

Tools of Ecology

• Physiology• Genetics (population genetics)• Statistics• Molecular Ecology

Physiology – Ecology of the Individual

• What environmental factors limit where an organism live?

• How does it cope with change?• Should it’s physiology change with the

environment or remain constant?

Range of ToleranceRange of Tolerance

Population Ecology

• Population – group of individuals of the same species living within a given area– Change in population size– Population genetics• Variation• Persistence

– Intraspecific interactions• Competition• Sexual selection

Community Ecology

• Community – two or more species living in a given area– Competition– Predation– Other symbiotic interactions

Avoid Capture

Grouping behavior

Ecosystem Ecology

• Ecosystem – the communities and the environmental conditions of a given area– Nutrient cycling– Energy Flow

Food Web