Bio 4451:

Field
Ecology & Evolution

Stuff to read to prepare for Bio 4451, Fall 2009

 

 

Dr. Robert L. Curry

Dept. of Biology

Villanova University

Sources for Bio 4451 lectures (you may want to buy and read these during the summer)

  • Beletsky, L. D. 1999. Tropical Mexico: the ecotravelers' wildlife guide. Academic Press, San Diego. (required)

  • Kricher, J. C. 1997. A neotropical companion, Second edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton. (required)

  • Nations, J. D. 2006. The Maya tropical forest: people, parks, and ancient cities. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. (optional)
    Schlesinger, V. 2001. Animals and plants of the ancient Maya: a guide. University of Texas Press, Austin. (optional)

  • Wallace, D. R. 1997. The monkey's bridge: mysteries of evolution in Central America. Trinity University Press, San Antonio, Texas. (optional)
     

Additional readings (these will be required for lecture eventually)

Recommended reading in Ricklefs (2007) The Economy of Nature, 5th edition.

This is the textbook for Bio 3255 Introductory Ecology. The chapters and sections listed below are those that you would most benefit from reading to support the more focused material we'll be reading in Bio 4451 about the Yucatán. Note especially that some of the late chapters in Ricklefs (2001) are highly relevant, so even if you are enrolled in Bio 3255 for Fall '05, you would benefit in Bio 4451 from reading this sections in advance of the Field Ecology course.

Note also that you could get nearly as good a background from reading just the relevant sections in a general biology textbook such as Campbell.

  • Chapter 1, Introduction: general overview of the science of ecology, and the types of questions that ecologists investigate (whole chapter)

  • Chapter 2, The physical environment: physical and chemical principles that govern the lives of organisms in the biosphere (whole chapter)

  • Chapter 3, Adaptation to aquatic and terrestrial environments: the following sections are especially relevant
    • :
    • Pages 50-55, water relations for plants
    • Pages 59-63, salt balance
    • Pages 65-66, homeostasis and energy balance
  • Chapter 4, Variations in the physical environment (whole chapter)
    • :
  • Chapter 5, Biological communities: the biome concept: the following sections are especially relevant
    • :
    • Pages 100-106, general principles about climate and plant growth forms
    • Pages 116-118, tropical rain forest and tropical seasonal forest biomes
    • Pages 118-122, aquatic biomes
  • Chapter 6, Energy in the ecosystem: the following sections are especially relevant
    • :
    • Pages 132-133, variation in productivity among ecosystems
  • Chapter 7, Pathways of elements in ecosystems: the following sections are especially relevant
    • :
    • Pages 148-149, deposition of carbon (we'll be walking on limestone everywhere we go in Mexico!)
    • Pages 153-154, nitrogen fixation
  • Chapter 8, nutrient regeneration: the following sections are especially relevant
    • :
    • Pages 166-168, deforestation and nutrient regeneration
    • Pages 170174, nutrient regeneration in aquatic systems
  • Chapter 12, Family, society, and evolution: especially
    • :
    • Pages 244-246, about cooperation ... because we'll be seeing several examples of animals (birds, primates) with complex social groups and cooperative breeding
    • Pages 248-250, about social insects ... because we'll focus on some of these (termites, leafcutter ants, army ants)
  • Chapter 13, Population structures: especially
    • :
    • Pages 265-257, about dispersion (raises several possibilities for field projects)
    • Pages 261-262, ideal free distribution (again, some possibilities for projects)
  • Chapter 15, Temporal and spatial dynamics: especially
    • :
    • Pages 306-304, about variation and extinction (we'll discuss conservation situations where this material is relevant)
  • Chapter 16, Population genetics and evolution: especially
    • :
    • Pages 319-326
  • Chapter 17, Predation and herbivory (whole chapter)
    • :
  • Chapter 19, Competition: especially general concepts (details of models not essential)
    • :
  • Chapter 20, Coevolution and mutualism (whole chapter)
    • :
  • Chapter 21, Community structure, especially
    • :
    • Pages 403-404, open vs. closed community concepts
    • Pages 414-418, diversity indices and relative abundance (lots of project possibilities)
  • Chapter 22, Community development (whole chapter)
    • :
  • Chapter 23, Biodiversity (whole chapter; this is an especially important chapter as context for the whole lecture emphasis of Bio 4451). Note especially
    • :
    • Pages 451-453, equilibrium theory of island biogeography (lots of project possibilities)
  • Chapter 24, History and biogeography (whole chapter; this is a another important chapter in terms of providing background conceptual foundation for Field Ecology). Note especially
    • :
    • First half of chapter (later stuff about community convergence is less critical)
  • Chapter 25, Extinction and conservation (whole chapter; again, this is a an important chapter in terms of providing background conceptual foundation for Field Ecology).
  • Chapter 26, Economic development and global ecology (whole chapter; once more, this is a an important chapter in terms of providing background conceptual foundation for Field Ecology).