Ecology
On Monday, June 7th, we'll delve into Ecology and its impact on the real
world! We'll be taking a math based approach (believe it or not, math is a huge and important part of
the field) to answer a real world problem. Then, you'll try to answer one on your own. Can't wait to
see you there!
View the Video Here
View the Problem Here
What is ecology?
Simply put, ecology is a science which explores the interaction of living things, including humans, and their environment. It’s reach can expand from park rangers to research scientists, to even outer space! Ecology provides us with an understanding of how species live together in balance, and how we can ensure their preservation.
Why should I be excited about ecology?
Chances are, you’ve been directly affected by ecology in several ways. Heard of climate change? Scientists were able to corroborate the effects of climate change by looking at how animals and insect populations were affected by it. Hiked anywhere? Ecologists are directly responsible for the conservation of forests and parks. In fact, you have ecology to thank for most nature conservation. What about technology? Biomimicry is a technique focused on modeling technology after nature, an offshoot of ecology. For example, many current energy efficient building designs are based on termite towers. You can thank seed burrs for the development of velcro. The most popular example, though, is how aircrafts and jets were based off of bird wing aerodynamics. Ecologists help solve real world problems, and directly help people and living organisms.
Aside from its importance, ecology is fun! You can find careers in almost every work setting, whether it be working on data analysis on a computer, conducting research out in the field, or experimenting in the laboratory.
What do ecologists do?
Ecologists study the relationships between different organisms and their environments. For example, how does a certain species of beaver affect the deer population in the same ecosystem? How does the river they depend on affect both populations? Where does climate change and chemical pollution come into play? What about the plants, the weather, and the landscaping? How do humans exist within the ecosystem? Ecologists strive to answer questions like these through observational studies.
But ecology isn’t only limited to observation. Ecologists also develop models and simulations to predict how different factors play into the environment. For example, recent research in ecology is focused on predicting human population growth versus how many people the Earth can sustain in the future. And then, ecologists play an integral role in developing biomimicry tech and research. And, ecologists are the backbone of most environment friendly advocacy and government policy.
How does math modeling apply to ecology?
Ecologists use math modeling in their everyday work. For example, a huge part of ecology is making predictions about the future of an ecosystem when something in it is changed. This factor could be anything -- a predator removed, a chemical spill, limited food, or even just time. The challenge in knowing how changes in the ecosystem affect the environment, habitats, and species that depend on it. That’s where math modeling comes into play. Ecologists use models like energy pyramids, food webs, and biomagnification to explain changes they see in ecosystems. They use mathematical formulas to be able to predict these changes more precisely.
Helpful Resources
About Ecology
What is Ecology?, Ecology: Khan Academy, Ecology Crash Course
About Ecology and Math Modeling
Population Ecology, Ecosystem Ecology, Predicting Pandemics
Famous Ecologists
Charles Darwin, Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, Tyrone Hayes
Ecology Careers
Ecological Society of America, Where Can Ecology Take You?
Resources that may be helpful for the problem
- Knowing Lake Food Chain
- 1994 Lake Quinsigamond Survey Report
- Lake Quinsigamond Shrewsbury Environmental Inventory
- Danger of Methylmercury in Freshwater Fish
- Largemouth Bass Food Chain
- Aquatic Insects in Massachusetts
- Length to Weight Conversion Charts for Common Fish
- Bluegill Fact Sheet
- Fish and Aquatic Conservation Fact Sheet
- Largemouth Bass Body Weight Data
- Bluegill Body Weight Data
- Dragonfly Body Weight Data
- Mosquito Larva Body Weight Data
Glossary
- Aerodynamics: The study of the interaction between air and moving solid bodies.
- Biomagnification: The increase of toxin concentration in a consumer as a result of eating prey contaminated with the toxin.
- Biomimicry: The design of materials and technology modeled on living organisms and processes.
- Climate Change: A global change in the climate over time. In context, this refers to the increase in warming of Earth’s surface since the Industrial Revolution.
- Conservation: Ensuring that limited resources are used in a sustainable way (in a way that will allow humans to use the resource without compromising it or anything in the environment).
- Ecology: A branch of biology that studies the relationship living organisms have with each other and their environments.
- Ecosystem: A group of living things and their environment.
- Energy: (ecology) Power to do work and live, derived from food, heat, light, etc. for an organism.
- Environment: The place and conditions where living things live and interact with.
- Pyramid: (ecology) A visual way of relating energy, biomass, and food relationships in an ecosystem.
- Food Webs: A visual way of relating producers and consumers in an ecosystem. Food webs are more complex than food chains because they allow consumers to feed off of multiple prey.
- Habitat: The place and environment in which an animal or plant grows.
- Laboratory: A place designed for scientific research.
- Model: A system, pipeline, formula, or other representation used to describe or imitate a real world process.
- Observational Studies: (ecology) Ecological research which draws data from observing an ecosystem or other setting without inducing any change or factors into the system.
- Organism: A living thing.
- Pollution: The introduction of a harmful substance in an ecosystem.
- Population: All of the individuals in a certain species living in a certain area. For example, the gazelle in Botswana is an example of a population.
- Preservation: (ecology) Ensuring that a resource, environment, or ecosystem is maintained and saved for the future.
- Research: The process of doing experiments and studies in order to formulate hypotheses, conclusions, and theories about the world.
- Simulation: The imitation of a real world process.
- Species: The global population of living organisms that have similar enough DNA to produce fertile offspring.
Video Citations
Video Production Credits
Images Used in Our Video
Articles Used for Our Presentation
