Ecology

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Ecological Conservation at Acadia University

Tasty Insect Recipes

Example of the Scientific Method:

Spontaneous generation

These links should be used in order to understand how the application
of the scientific method refuted the theory of spontaneous generation.
Chapter 2 Related Websites
Possible Life on Mars? Interactions Between Predator and Prey Populations
Biodiversity Web resources:
Biodiversity: An Overview from the World Conservation Monitoring Center.
You can consider this link your primary reference on the subject.
Web Resources:
Chapter 42 Web links
Chapter 43 Web links
invasion of species from other areas The first species to colonize an area (usually lichens and mosses but sometimes higher plants), beginning the process of soil formation.
Primary succession on bare rock. Rocks erode, sand accumulates, decomposition adds organic matter, and voila! soil. As soil continues to form, larger (and woody) plants appear.
Volcanic eruption is primary succession. Following the eruption, there is no life in the blast zone. Eventually, however,
pioneer species of plants do establish themselves, beginning the course of succession.
Primary succession can also occur from man-made structures. Because soil may already be present, the rate of secondary succession is faster than primary succession.

Secondary succession also indicates changes in community composition following disturbances.

Traditional farming involves creating disturbance and then fighting secondary succession. Plowing is a prime example of disturbance, but it can't eliminate "Weeds" are pioneer species; if farming is discontinued, these colonizing plants will reclaim a field.
What is disturbance?
Can it, and should it, be kept out of an ecosystem?
Question: Should fires be intentionally set in (and out of) the national forests? Web resources: