Community Ecology & Macroecology (BISC 830) -- Fall 2021
Instructors:
David Green (david_green[at]sfu.ca) & Nick Dulvy (dulvy[at]sfu.ca)
How the course works
The course is an introduction to the interactions that occur in ecological communities (both pairwise, like competition and predation, and the more complicated interaction networks of real communities) and the large-scale patterns that occur over geographic scales (community assembly, species diversity patterns, and macroecology). We are aiming at graduate students early in their careers, with the goal of providing a firm grounding in the concepts of community and macroecology. This course is seen as a complement to BISC 838 (Population Ecology), though with a fairly different format.
Course format: lectures by DG and ND, and discussion of related papers the week after lecture. The readings will consist of a historical/foundation paper assigned by instructors and recent papers (within 5 years) chosen by the 2 discussion leaders (this means you!) for that week. Papers chosen by each discussant, along with 3-5 insightful questions, should be circulated by email, by Friday midday the week before the discussion. For each class with a reading, the other (non-discussant) students will submit a short (500 word) summary in the style of The Economist (an educated but general audience) to the Instructor. The summary should highlight the major concepts in one of the recent papers (not the classic). Finally, students will write a short (2,500 words, 10 pages double spaced max) review paper similar to a TREE Forum, Review or Opinion, on a topic of their choice (to be approved by instructors).
Course text: Community Ecology 2019 by Mittelbach and McGill which is open-access from the library, here
Information on Assignments is here BISC 830 Assignments.
We will meet on WEDNESDAY from 12:30 to 3:30 SSB 7109.
Course email list: bisc-830[at]sfu.ca
Course format: lectures by DG and ND, and discussion of related papers the week after lecture. The readings will consist of a historical/foundation paper assigned by instructors and recent papers (within 5 years) chosen by the 2 discussion leaders (this means you!) for that week. Papers chosen by each discussant, along with 3-5 insightful questions, should be circulated by email, by Friday midday the week before the discussion. For each class with a reading, the other (non-discussant) students will submit a short (500 word) summary in the style of The Economist (an educated but general audience) to the Instructor. The summary should highlight the major concepts in one of the recent papers (not the classic). Finally, students will write a short (2,500 words, 10 pages double spaced max) review paper similar to a TREE Forum, Review or Opinion, on a topic of their choice (to be approved by instructors).
Course text: Community Ecology 2019 by Mittelbach and McGill which is open-access from the library, here
Information on Assignments is here BISC 830 Assignments.
We will meet on WEDNESDAY from 12:30 to 3:30 SSB 7109.
Course email list: bisc-830[at]sfu.ca
Week of September 6:
We will zoom meet on Thursday 2:30 pm 9th September to figure out a convenient time to meet.
Introdctions, find time to meet, Economist readings for next week, Book chapter, brief overview of assigments ( ND + DG) ppt
For next week: please read both Economist articles and Chp 2 Patterns of Biological Diversity
Sexual Selection in Birds, Economist
Original paper in PNAS
Ants, acacias and shameless bribery, Economist
Original Paper in The Science of Nature
Course text: Community Ecology 2019 by Mittelbach and McGill which is open-access from the library, here
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 13:
Discussion: Structure of Economist articles
Assignments: Discussion of format of Economist articles & how to lead Discussion. Read at least one (preferably both) of the articles posted on the assignments page, and skim, at least, the associated paper from a scientific journal.
Lecture: Spatial patterns of diversity & why (DG) ppt
For next week: please read both TREE articles, Chp 7 Competitive interactions, the classic paper [Currie et al. Ecology Letters 7:1121] and 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
Hempson et al. 2019. Alternate Grassy Ecosystem States Are Determined by Palatability–Flammability Trade-Offs. TREE 34:286-290. PDF
Saito et al. 2021 A Metabolic Perspective of Stochastic Community Assembly. TREE 36: 280-283 PDF
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 20: write-up #1 due on diversity patterns.
Discussion topic: Diversity patterns (Hannah R & Jay)
Discussion: structure of two TREE papers.
Hempson et al. 2019. Alternate Grassy Ecosystem States Are Determined by Palatability–Flammability Trade-Offs. TREE 34:286-290. PDF
Saito et al. 2021 A Metabolic Perspective of Stochastic Community Assembly. TREE 36: 280-283 PDF
Lecture 1: Interactions 1: niche, resources, competition & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 5 predator-prey interactions, the classic paper [Gotelli & Gabe 2002] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
______________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 27: write-up #2 due on competition.
Discussion topic: Competition (Jon & Jacqui)
Lecture: Interactions 2: predators, prey, stability, cycles, feedback & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 11 Chains, webs, cascades, the classic paper [Hammill et al 2010 Am. Nat. 176: 723-731] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
______________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 4: write-up #3 due on predation.
Discussion topic: Predation (Cole & Jesse)
Lecture: Direct & Indirect interactions, measuring them, trophic cascades (ND) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 10 Ecological networks, the classic papers [see below] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
Classic papers: Read this first - Myers et al. (2007). Cascading effects of the loss of apex predatory sharks from a coastal ocean. Science 315, 1846-1850. pdf Then read this - Grubbs et al. (2016). Critical assessment and ramifications of a purported marine trophic cascade. Sci Rep 6, 20970. pdf
[[ND and DG to discuss TREE topics, i.e. papers that could be the focus of a tree article]]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 11: write-up #4 due on Trophic cascades
Discussion topic: Trophic cascades (Jacqui & Sherry)
Lecture: Food webs & networks (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 12 Community Assembly & traits, the classic paper [Thébeut & Fontaine 2010 Science 329: 853-856] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 18: write-up #5 due on Food webs/networks PLUS come prepared to discuss your TREE topic with ND and DG
Discussion topic: Food webs/networks (Claire, Hannah H, Sherry)
Lecture: Succession and community assembly (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 14 Metacommunity, [Chase JM.. Community assembly: when should history matter? Oecol 136: 489-498]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 25: write-up #6 due on Succession/Assembly.
Discussion topic: Succession/Assembly (Jesse, Jay, Jon) (One big group, three sections, one for each paper)
Diversity: Neutrality and Beyond (ND) pdf
For next week: There is no book chapter; please read the classic paper [Scheffer & van Nes 2006. PNAS 103, 6230-6235. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 01: write-up #7 due on Neutrality.
Discussion topic: Neutrality (Wade, Cole)
Lecture: Body size and metabolic theory of ecology (ND) pdf
For next week: Please read Chp 3 BD-EF and 2 classic papers [Brown, J.H., et al. (2004). Toward a metabolic theory of ecology. Ecology 85, 1771-1789. pdf and McGill et al. (2006) Rebuilding community ecology from functional traits. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 178-185. pdf]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 8: write-up #8 due on Trait-based community ecology.
Discussion topic: Trait-based community ecology (Wade, Hannah H)
Lecture: Biodiversity and Ecosystem function (ND) ppt
For next week: Please read the classic paper [Naeem S, et al. (1994). Declining biodiversity can alter the performance of ecosystems. 368, 734-737. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 15: write-up #9 due BD-EF.
Discussion topic: BD-EF (Hannah R, Claire)
Lecture: Lecture 2: how to peer review (ND + DG) pptx
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Deadlines
November 22: First draft TREE Papers Due BY NOON; assigned for peer review by 5 PM
November 29: Submit peer review of TREE papers to instructors by noon; AE recommendations within ~ 24 hours
December 6: Revised TREE paper due to both instructors by noon
NOTE: these paper deadlines have to be firm or we will not be able to assign grades!! Plan your writing time accordingly
We will zoom meet on Thursday 2:30 pm 9th September to figure out a convenient time to meet.
Introdctions, find time to meet, Economist readings for next week, Book chapter, brief overview of assigments ( ND + DG) ppt
For next week: please read both Economist articles and Chp 2 Patterns of Biological Diversity
Sexual Selection in Birds, Economist
Original paper in PNAS
Ants, acacias and shameless bribery, Economist
Original Paper in The Science of Nature
Course text: Community Ecology 2019 by Mittelbach and McGill which is open-access from the library, here
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 13:
Discussion: Structure of Economist articles
Assignments: Discussion of format of Economist articles & how to lead Discussion. Read at least one (preferably both) of the articles posted on the assignments page, and skim, at least, the associated paper from a scientific journal.
Lecture: Spatial patterns of diversity & why (DG) ppt
For next week: please read both TREE articles, Chp 7 Competitive interactions, the classic paper [Currie et al. Ecology Letters 7:1121] and 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
Hempson et al. 2019. Alternate Grassy Ecosystem States Are Determined by Palatability–Flammability Trade-Offs. TREE 34:286-290. PDF
Saito et al. 2021 A Metabolic Perspective of Stochastic Community Assembly. TREE 36: 280-283 PDF
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 20: write-up #1 due on diversity patterns.
Discussion topic: Diversity patterns (Hannah R & Jay)
Discussion: structure of two TREE papers.
Hempson et al. 2019. Alternate Grassy Ecosystem States Are Determined by Palatability–Flammability Trade-Offs. TREE 34:286-290. PDF
Saito et al. 2021 A Metabolic Perspective of Stochastic Community Assembly. TREE 36: 280-283 PDF
Lecture 1: Interactions 1: niche, resources, competition & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 5 predator-prey interactions, the classic paper [Gotelli & Gabe 2002] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
______________________________________________________________________________________
Week of September 27: write-up #2 due on competition.
Discussion topic: Competition (Jon & Jacqui)
Lecture: Interactions 2: predators, prey, stability, cycles, feedback & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 11 Chains, webs, cascades, the classic paper [Hammill et al 2010 Am. Nat. 176: 723-731] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
______________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 4: write-up #3 due on predation.
Discussion topic: Predation (Cole & Jesse)
Lecture: Direct & Indirect interactions, measuring them, trophic cascades (ND) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 10 Ecological networks, the classic papers [see below] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
Classic papers: Read this first - Myers et al. (2007). Cascading effects of the loss of apex predatory sharks from a coastal ocean. Science 315, 1846-1850. pdf Then read this - Grubbs et al. (2016). Critical assessment and ramifications of a purported marine trophic cascade. Sci Rep 6, 20970. pdf
[[ND and DG to discuss TREE topics, i.e. papers that could be the focus of a tree article]]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 11: write-up #4 due on Trophic cascades
Discussion topic: Trophic cascades (Jacqui & Sherry)
Lecture: Food webs & networks (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 12 Community Assembly & traits, the classic paper [Thébeut & Fontaine 2010 Science 329: 853-856] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 18: write-up #5 due on Food webs/networks PLUS come prepared to discuss your TREE topic with ND and DG
Discussion topic: Food webs/networks (Claire, Hannah H, Sherry)
Lecture: Succession and community assembly (DG) ppt
For next week: please read Chp 14 Metacommunity, [Chase JM.. Community assembly: when should history matter? Oecol 136: 489-498]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of October 25: write-up #6 due on Succession/Assembly.
Discussion topic: Succession/Assembly (Jesse, Jay, Jon) (One big group, three sections, one for each paper)
Diversity: Neutrality and Beyond (ND) pdf
For next week: There is no book chapter; please read the classic paper [Scheffer & van Nes 2006. PNAS 103, 6230-6235. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 01: write-up #7 due on Neutrality.
Discussion topic: Neutrality (Wade, Cole)
Lecture: Body size and metabolic theory of ecology (ND) pdf
For next week: Please read Chp 3 BD-EF and 2 classic papers [Brown, J.H., et al. (2004). Toward a metabolic theory of ecology. Ecology 85, 1771-1789. pdf and McGill et al. (2006) Rebuilding community ecology from functional traits. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 178-185. pdf]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 8: write-up #8 due on Trait-based community ecology.
Discussion topic: Trait-based community ecology (Wade, Hannah H)
Lecture: Biodiversity and Ecosystem function (ND) ppt
For next week: Please read the classic paper [Naeem S, et al. (1994). Declining biodiversity can alter the performance of ecosystems. 368, 734-737. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Week of November 15: write-up #9 due BD-EF.
Discussion topic: BD-EF (Hannah R, Claire)
Lecture: Lecture 2: how to peer review (ND + DG) pptx
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Deadlines
November 22: First draft TREE Papers Due BY NOON; assigned for peer review by 5 PM
November 29: Submit peer review of TREE papers to instructors by noon; AE recommendations within ~ 24 hours
December 6: Revised TREE paper due to both instructors by noon
NOTE: these paper deadlines have to be firm or we will not be able to assign grades!! Plan your writing time accordingly
