Community Ecology & Macroecology (BISC 830) -- Fall 2023
Instructors:
David Green (djgreen[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
**FIRST MEETING Thur 7th Sept 1 pm in BISC 9242** to schedule classes, intro Economist articles, foreshadow discussion topics
Information on Assignments is here BISC 830 Assignments.
Class will meet on Wednesday from 11:30 to 2:30 in room B8218
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
**FIRST MEETING Thur 7th Sept 1 pm in BISC 9242** to schedule classes, intro Economist articles, foreshadow discussion topics
Information on Assignments is here BISC 830 Assignments.
Class will meet on Wednesday from 11:30 to 2:30 in room B8218
Course email list: bisc-830[at]sfu.ca
why_and_how_to_peer_review231115.pptx
Week starting September 4:
We will meet on Thursday 1:00 pm 7th September to: figure out a convenient time to meet, make introductions, introduce, Economist & book chapter readings for next week, & brief overview of assignments ( ND + DG) ppt
For next week: please read both Economist articles and Mittelbach Chp 2 Patterns of Biological Diversity (see below)
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
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday September 13:
Discussion: Structure of Economist articles
Assignments: Discussion of format of Economist articles and reading & 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 the classic diversity paper [Currie et al. Ecology Letters 7:1121] and 2 papers on diversity patterns shared by Discussion leaders. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 3 Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. September 20: write-up #1 due on diversity patterns.
Discussion topic: Diversity patterns (Rachel, Amanda)
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] & two recent papers on BD-EF shared by discussion leaders. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 7 Competitive interactions.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. September 27: write-up #2 due on Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function.
Discussion topic: Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function (Kyra , Vanessa)
Lecture: Interactions 1: niche, resources, competition & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please SKIM the classic paper [ Murray et al. 2008 ] and the 1 paper on Competition shared by Discussion leader. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 5 predator-prey interactions AND read these TREE forum papers, with focus on the structure and format.
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
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 4: write-up #3 due on competition.
Discussion topic: Competition (Andrew)
Second Discussion on TREE article structure
Lecture: Interactions 2: predators, prey, stability, cycles, feedback & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: Please read the classic paper [Hammill et al 2010 Am. Nat. 176: 723-731] and the 2 Pred-Prey papers shared by Discussion leaders. Please skim Chp 11 Chains, webs, cascades.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 11: write-up #4 due on predation.
Discussion topic: Predation (Anna, Triana)
Lecture: Direct & Indirect interactions, measuring them, trophic cascades (ND) pptx
For next week: please read the the classic papers [Terborgh J. et al. Ecological meltdown in predator-free forest fragments. Science. 2001;294:1923-6] and the paper shared by Discussion leader. Please skim Chp 10 Ecological network.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 18: write-up #5 due on Trophic Cascades PLUS come prepared to discuss your TREE topic with ND and DG
Discussion topic: Trophic cascades (Maya)
Lecture: Food webs & networks (DG) ppt
For next week: please read the classic paper [Thébeut & Fontaine 2010 Science 329: 853-856] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders and skim Chp 12 Community Assembly & traits.
[[ND and DG to discuss TREE topics, i.e. papers that could be the focus of a tree article]]
xx
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 25: write-up #6 due on Food webs/networks .
Discussion topic: Food webs/networks (Amanda, Paige)
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]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. Nov 1: write-up #7 due on Succession/Assembly.
Discussion topic: Succession/Assembly (Raven, Jonathan)
Lecture: 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]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. November 8: write-up #8 due on Neutrality.
Discussion topic: Neutrality (Andrew, Paige)
Lecture: Body size and metabolic theory of ecology (ND) pdf
The classic MTE paper is Brown, J.H., et al. (2004). Toward a metabolic theory of ecology. Ecology 85, 1771-1789. pdf
For next week focus on reading McGill et al. (2006) Rebuilding community ecology from functional traits. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 178-185. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. November 15: write-up #9 due Trait-based community ecology.
Discussion topic: Trait-based community ecology (Rachel, Triana)
Lecture: Lecture 2: how to peer review (ND + DG) pptx
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Deadlines
November 21: First draft TREE Papers Due by 5 pm; assigned for peer review by noon on 22nd
November 27: Submit peer review of TREE papers to instructors by noon; David & Nick recommendations within ~ 24 hours
December 4: 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
Week starting September 4:
We will meet on Thursday 1:00 pm 7th September to: figure out a convenient time to meet, make introductions, introduce, Economist & book chapter readings for next week, & brief overview of assignments ( ND + DG) ppt
For next week: please read both Economist articles and Mittelbach Chp 2 Patterns of Biological Diversity (see below)
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
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wednesday September 13:
Discussion: Structure of Economist articles
Assignments: Discussion of format of Economist articles and reading & 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 the classic diversity paper [Currie et al. Ecology Letters 7:1121] and 2 papers on diversity patterns shared by Discussion leaders. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 3 Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. September 20: write-up #1 due on diversity patterns.
Discussion topic: Diversity patterns (Rachel, Amanda)
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] & two recent papers on BD-EF shared by discussion leaders. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 7 Competitive interactions.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. September 27: write-up #2 due on Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function.
Discussion topic: Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function (Kyra , Vanessa)
Lecture: Interactions 1: niche, resources, competition & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: please SKIM the classic paper [ Murray et al. 2008 ] and the 1 paper on Competition shared by Discussion leader. In preparation for lecture skim this: Chp 5 predator-prey interactions AND read these TREE forum papers, with focus on the structure and format.
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
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 4: write-up #3 due on competition.
Discussion topic: Competition (Andrew)
Second Discussion on TREE article structure
Lecture: Interactions 2: predators, prey, stability, cycles, feedback & coexistence (DG) ppt
For next week: Please read the classic paper [Hammill et al 2010 Am. Nat. 176: 723-731] and the 2 Pred-Prey papers shared by Discussion leaders. Please skim Chp 11 Chains, webs, cascades.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 11: write-up #4 due on predation.
Discussion topic: Predation (Anna, Triana)
Lecture: Direct & Indirect interactions, measuring them, trophic cascades (ND) pptx
For next week: please read the the classic papers [Terborgh J. et al. Ecological meltdown in predator-free forest fragments. Science. 2001;294:1923-6] and the paper shared by Discussion leader. Please skim Chp 10 Ecological network.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 18: write-up #5 due on Trophic Cascades PLUS come prepared to discuss your TREE topic with ND and DG
Discussion topic: Trophic cascades (Maya)
Lecture: Food webs & networks (DG) ppt
For next week: please read the classic paper [Thébeut & Fontaine 2010 Science 329: 853-856] and the 2 papers shared by Discussion leaders and skim Chp 12 Community Assembly & traits.
[[ND and DG to discuss TREE topics, i.e. papers that could be the focus of a tree article]]
xx
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. October 25: write-up #6 due on Food webs/networks .
Discussion topic: Food webs/networks (Amanda, Paige)
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]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. Nov 1: write-up #7 due on Succession/Assembly.
Discussion topic: Succession/Assembly (Raven, Jonathan)
Lecture: 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]
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. November 8: write-up #8 due on Neutrality.
Discussion topic: Neutrality (Andrew, Paige)
Lecture: Body size and metabolic theory of ecology (ND) pdf
The classic MTE paper is Brown, J.H., et al. (2004). Toward a metabolic theory of ecology. Ecology 85, 1771-1789. pdf
For next week focus on reading McGill et al. (2006) Rebuilding community ecology from functional traits. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21, 178-185. pdf]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wed. November 15: write-up #9 due Trait-based community ecology.
Discussion topic: Trait-based community ecology (Rachel, Triana)
Lecture: Lecture 2: how to peer review (ND + DG) pptx
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Deadlines
November 21: First draft TREE Papers Due by 5 pm; assigned for peer review by noon on 22nd
November 27: Submit peer review of TREE papers to instructors by noon; David & Nick recommendations within ~ 24 hours
December 4: 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
