Exploring Novel Ecosystems
What is Behavioral ecology and why should we care? The natural world is organized into a nested hierarchy; genes are nested within individuals, individuals within populations, populations within communities, etc. As ecologists, we are often interested in understanding how biotic and abiotic components of the environment and their interactions affect the abundance and distribution of …
Adaptation to ecological novelty: Can species keep pace? “…I’m simply saying that life… finds a way.” -Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park (1993) Novelty is not new to life on Earth. Organisms have been adapting to novel challenges for millennia. But the key difference between adaptation over the evolutionary history of Earth and adaptation …
Trying to see the invisible: what are the consequences of behavioral changes along gradients of novelty? Abstract: Ecological novelty can be both cause and result of behavioral changes in animals. These behavioral changes can be subtle, but are likely widespread, and could have large effects on communities and ecosystems. While animal behavior can vary tremendously …
Summary Changes to nutrient cycles can be both a cause and effect of novel ecosystems. When nutrientcycles are altered due to biotic novelty, undeniably negative consequences can arise. However,in some cases, novel ecosystems could maintain or even enhance beneficial nutrient cycling. Novelty and nutrient cycling Humans care about nutrient cycling, in part because excess …