How do we study ecology?

• Observation: What lives here? How many individuals of each species are there? How do they interact w/each other?

• Experiments: These are used to test a hypothesis. Experiments may be artificial or real world.

• Modeling: Models of natural phenomena help ecologist understand the natural environment on a smaller scale.

How do we study ecology?

• Modeling: Models of natural phenomena help ecologist understand the natural environment on a smaller scale.

Indirect Methods• Satellites: Remote sensing allows ecologists to study

large scale environments using precision instruments.• Photography: Using remote cameras allows biologists

to study animals in their natural habitat without disruption.

• Weather Stations: Allow scientists to study the climate and weather of each ecosystem.

• Radio collars: Allow biologist to track the movements and migratory patterns of different animal species.

Indirect Methods

• Radio collars: Allow biologist to track the movements and migratory patterns of different animal species.

Indirect Methods

• GIS: Geographic Information Systems -GIS is a system of hardware and software used for storage, retrieval, mapping, and analysis of geographic data. Spatial features are stored in a coordinate system (latitude/longitude, state plane, UTM, etc.), which references a particular place on the earth.

Indirect Methods

• Remote Sensing: A means of acquiring information using airborne equipment and techniques to determine the characteristics of an area. Aerial photographs from aircraft and satellite are a common form of remote sensing.

Satellites: Remote sensing allows ecologists to study large scale environments using precision

instruments.

Photography: Using remote cameras allows biologists to study animals in their

natural habitat without disruption

Weather Stations: Allow scientists to study the climate and weather of each ecosystem.

Radio collars: Allow biologist to track the movements and migratory patterns of different

animal species.

Remote sensing images as taken from space by satellites