Introduction to theoretical ecology

(EKOL2408; 1 ov)

 

This course is a practical introduction to theoretical ecology via models of population dynamics for ecologists with no particular training in theory or mathematics. My aim is to elucidate concepts, provide mainly graphical tools, and give qualitative insight into the working of models without too much of technical diversions. I assume some background knowledge in ecology on the level of an introductory course to general ecology. For a textbook, I shall use selected chapters of Yodzis: Introduction to theoretical ecology (Harper & Row, 1989).


Lectures: Monday and Wednesday 12-14; in English
First lecture: 3 March (Monday); last lecture: 9 April (Wednesday); total of 11 lectures (no lecture on 2 April)
Place: Ecology seminar room

Contact: Eva Kisdi (Department of Mathematics, room 451)
Office hour: Wednesday 15-16 (but welcome any time), phone: 333 5686, e-mail address: eva.kisdi@utu.fi 

Exam: 29 April (Tuesday) 16-18pm, Ecology seminar room
Please contact me if you can't take the test at this time

 

This course is supported by the European Research Training Network ModLife through the Department of Mathematics, University of Turku. 

 

Part 1. Single populations

1. Population growth in discrete time: Qualitative analysis

2. Chaotic dynamics. How to detect chaos in nature?

3. Population growth in continuous time. Alternative equilibria and hysteresis effects

4. The dynamics of small populations

5. An outlook on invading species: Travelling waves and stable species boundaries

 

Part 2. Population interactions

6. Consumer-resource models, stability, and limit cycles

7. Resource competition. Coexistence and competitive exclusion; limiting similarity

8. Simple communities

9. Interference competition and fugitive coexistence. Temporally fluctuating environments and coexistence by the storage effect

10. An outlook on infectious diseases

Textbook: Yodzis: Introduction to theoretical ecology. Harper & Row, 1989.

 

Materials to download:

Note for programs: You need to put the file egavga.bgi in the same directory from where you run the programs in order to handle DOS screen graphics.
Source code available on request (DOS-based Pascal 5.1).

 

- Rules of differentiation (PDF, 1 page, 60KB)

- Discrete logistic growth

Blank to draw cobweb diagrams of the discrete logistic model (PDF, 1 page, 32 KB)

Simulation program logistic.exe

- Ricker model bifurcation program ricker.exe

- Continuous logistic growth program cont_log.exe

- Sums of random variables (PDF, 1 page, 77 KB)

- Demographic stochasticity program demstoch.exe and accompanying notes (PDF, 1 page, 57 KB)

- Coexistence: More species than resources (PDF, 4 pages with figures, 86 KB)

 

NEW: Exercises (PDF; final update: 2 April)

 

If you want to know more...

- mathematics in general (e.g. differentiation, integration, simple differential equations):

C. Neuhauser: Calculus for Biology and Medicine (Prentice Hall, 2000)

- differential equations, advanced

S. L. Ross: Differential Equations (Wiley, 1984)
L. Collatz: Differential Equations (Wiley, 1986)

Note: There are many good books on these subjects. I selected these because they are readily available at the Mathematics Library, Luonnontieteiden talo II, 4th floor [ei kotilainaan :-( ]