Today:

A bit of discussion…

A bit of lecture…

Preparing for “Tom Stohlgren” week…

Thursday – Tom Lovejoy (10:30 am, 123 Ammons Hall – seating is limited!)

Organizing for Successful Ecologist Bio’s…

Elliott and Brook –

What is the motivation for this paper?

How successful is it?

“The Truth”Pattern, Process, Product

X

X

X

X

X

“Strong inference”

“The Truth”Pattern, Process, Product

XX

XX

X

“Complex Ecological Systems”

I had a discussion earlier today with my advisor about the importance of coming up with a simple, well-defined, testable hypothesis for my research. 

As a Phd student, however, I am more inclined to test multiple hypotheses at once in order to gain a more complete understanding of my subject… 

Is there a tension between the two approaches for graduate students?

“Science includes the synthesis of different kinds of knowledge into consistent structures, and the use of imagination in developing explanations to account for our observations of the world.” I feel that many modern scientists have forgotten the role of imagination and creativity in those saltitory leaps forward throughout the history of scientific thought.

What was the real “Newton’s Apple”?

For a time, Newton became obsessed with occult works, alchemy and magic treatises…Some of the books he read discussed substances having mysterious sympathies and antipathies toward one another…forces that could affect something without touching it (as opposed to a purely physical mechanistic explanation for the way objects interacted).

This unconventional idea allowed him to make an intellectual leap and inspired him to envision forces of attraction acting at a distance… (gravitational forces). Hence, the importance of keeping an open mind…even weird and wrong ideas can inspire important breakthroughs…

-Jacobs 2004

Creativity….a key ingredient of making scientific progress

A common characteristic of many successful ecologists?

Can it be taught?

How can you become more creative?

I found the discussion of synthetic cognition (p. 609) to be very interesting. The idea of benefitting from logical dissonance reminds me of a (perhaps silly) book that I have read, “How to Think Like Leonardo daVinci”.  The author, Stephen Gelb, proposed that one of the maestro’s greatest traits was his ability to be comfortable with uncertainty.

Tom Stohlgren!I used the same talk as last year, and the year before . . .It did not prevent the students from giving me a standing ovation.

The cheering went on through most of the lunch period that followed.

I hope you gave Dave T. a big kiss from me.

cheers,St. Thomas of Uncontrolled Observational Studies

How is Ecology done?

Manipulative experiments

Observational studies

+ Control+ Simplicity+ Precision

- Scale- Simplicity- Realism

+ Realism+ Scale+ Complexity

- Control- Complexity- Precision

Other trade-offs…

• Natural Experiments (Mt. St. Helens)• Manipulative Experiments• Modeling Experiments

• “ANOVA” experiments • “Regression” experiments• Before-After, Control-Impact Experiments (BACI)

• Isolate single factors• Isolate multiple factors and their interactions• Control unwanted variation and extrinsic factors• Cause and effect• Test hypotheses…

What are called “experiments” in Ecology?

Why are experiments done in Ecology?

I don’t understand how an experiment that eliminates virtually all the extrinsic factors of nature can provide any information regarding the natural behavior of organisms.

Can a theory (or mechanism) be correct and valuable even if evidence for it is never manifest in the real world?

All objects in the influence of Earth's gravity fall with the same acceleration – in the absence of other forces.

Value in “Ceteris paribus” experiments – all else being equal?

Sheet of paper or feather vs. bowling ball?

What is the relationship between diversity and invasion success?

High diversity inhibits invasion success?High diversity increases invasion success?

Can Tom and Tilman both be right?

Bias – Beauty of theory vs. Beauty of pattern

Danger of inference & “selling” our science…

Answer the questions Ceteris paribus…

Why do we do experiments in Ecology?

Climate change on a 6 x 6 m scale?

What are the consequences of conducting an experiment (or observational study) at the wrong scale?

• Can the scale be too small?• Can it be too large?

Do you think most ecological studies (experiments) oversimplify patterns in nature and thus fail to reveal much about the natural world that is valuable?

Is this a problem of significant concern?

Comments?

For 4 class periods, we need a biography ready for class presentation in the Organismal, Population, Community and Ecosystems weeks.

Oct 7 - OrganismalOct 14 - PopulationOct 21- CommunityOct 28 - Ecosystem

Remaining groups will present week of Nov. 9 – Free to choose any discipline…

Identify leaders today (8) – email me the composition of the group (4 names) and your date/discipline

What can we learn from the biographies of successful Ecologists? Group projects…4 students per group – 1 presenter