Ecology Weblabs

1. Carbon Cycle 

2. Demographics 

3. Ecology

4. Energy 

5. Energy

• 1. Population genetics- Population Genetics is the study of the distributions and changes of allele frequency in a population. As demonstrated with the popgen fishbowl  stimulation, the population is subject to the four main evolutionary processes also known as natural selection, genetic drift, mutation flow, and gene flow.
• 2. Population Ecology- The Logistic Growth model demonstrates resource limited population growth. Populations have a per capita growth rate and carrying capacity and individuals in a population are views in windows, which show that there are still births/deaths in the population.  Population sizes can be predicted through direct sampling, sampling with removal, and mark/recapture. 
• 3.Community Ecology: A model of Connell's 1960 competition experiment if of realized niches of two species of barnacles, Chthamalus and Balanus. In addition, microcosm is a simulation which demonstrates Gauss (1934) experiment with protists. The two Paramecium species compete for resources. 
• 4. Behavioral Ecology: In Foraging, the model demonstrates a behavior of honeybees.  It represents  Charnov's (1976) Marginal Value Theorem, which predicts how long an animal should forage in a given patch. In Vigilance Behavior (Collective),  the model is shown of Pulliam's (1973) vigilance model  suggests that an advantage to birds of feeding in flocks is that there are multiple eyes eyes watching for predators. In Vigilance Behavior   (Individual) the parameters for individual birds can be adjusted.  In Foraging, the model simulates the foraging behavior of two predator species and tracks the mean and standard deviation in energy for each species. 
• 5. Conservation Ecology: In biomagnificaion, Rachel Carson published 'Silent Spring' which drew attention to how the use of pesticides was indirectly decimating bird populations by causing thinning of egg-shells in 1962. The model demonstrates how DDT in near-shore waters accumulates in a 'food chain' of phytoplankton, zooplankton, smelt, salmon, and pelicans. In Tragedy of the Commons  Garrett Hardin (1968) describs how multiple individuals acting in their own interests, while using a common resource, will overuse the resource.   This model shows the concept in a common field where four farmers are grazing cattle.  
•  6. Biodiversity: In island Biogeography, a model MacArthur & Wilson's 1963 Island Biogeography Equilibrium  paper is demonstrated. In estimating stream diversity, the model shows a stream of animal life and displays the species"disocvery to effort" to curve. In estimating plant diversity, it is a model to clacuate data for anlayses of biodiversity.