Introduction: Functions of Ecology

Digest

• At all levels of ecological organization we can:
• describe
• explain
• predict
• control
• Proximal vs. ultimate explanations
• ultimate explanations are evolutionary based
• Examples of uses of ecology:
• minimize the effects of locust plagues
• protecting crops by predicting when conditions will be favorable
• maintain endangered species
• conserve biodiversity to maintain ecosystem services
• pure vs. applied ecology
• applied ecology is based on the strong foundation of pure ecology
• applied ecology has become important now partly due to political influence

Functions of ecology

Questions

1. What are the uses of ecology?
2. How has applied ecology developed and why has it become more important now?

Preface - Part 1

Answers

1. Yes 19 years indicates the time that has passed between the first and fourth edition of the textbook.
2. This section is talking about "applied ecology" and not ecology as a whole. Applied ecology has come of age as of date of publication of the 4th edition of the textbook (2006).
3. Ecology is hard because it deals with an enormous variation in genetics and number of species.
4. Ecology is for everyone because every one of us has 'studied' the ecology around him even if on a very basic or superficial level.

Digest

1. A science  for everybody - but not an easy science
1. everyone has been an ecologist, oldest science
2. evolution only makes sense in light of ecology
3. Whitehead's recipe for science: "Seek simplicity, but distrust it."
4. diversity of genetics, species
5. Patterns
6. Ecology is ... population, 3 levels: organisms, interactions among organisms, communities
2. Nineteen years on: applied ecology has come of age
1. the move towards applications (reflected in 3 chapters, one in each part of the book)
2. some things have changed, some have remained fixed
3. the cover has changed to reflect such changes
4. man as perpetrator

Questions

1. Does 19 years indicate start of first edition?
2. Was ecology not "of age" 19 years ago or does the heading mean the textbook itself has matured?
3. Why is ecology hard?
4. Why does the author consider ecology to be a difficult science?