A2 TEN RULES IN ECOLOGY? Key notes What are these rules? The authors experience of teaching ecology has given them experience of some common pitfalls which ecology students often make. This list, designed to counter these pitfalls, is neither comprehensive nor mutually exclusive, but we hope will nevertheless serve as a useful guide to protocol Rule 1 Ecology is a science. Ecology is a purely scientific discipline which aims to understand the relationships between organisms and their wider environment. It is important to segregate political and social impacts of ecological understanding from the scientific viewpoint
A2 TEN RULES IN ECOLOGY? Key Notes What are these rules? The authors’ experience of teaching ecology has given them experience of some common pitfalls which ecology students often make. This list, designed to counter these pitfalls, is neither comprehensive nor mutually exclusive, but we hope will nevertheless serve as a useful guide to protocol. Rule 1 Ecology is a science. Ecology is a purely scientific discipline which aims to understand the relationships between organisms and their wider environment. It is important to segregate political and social impacts of ecological understanding from the scientific viewpoint
规律2:生态学 有机体巨大的多样性,以及其形态学、生理学和行为 只有按照进化 的变异的丰富性,全都是亿万年进化的结果。这个进 论才可理解 化历史对于每一个个体都留下了不能去除的影响。我 们今天发现的种种模式,只有按照进化论的观点才可 能有意义。 对于那些看起来对个体是花费的有机体行为模式,认 规律3:“对动 物种有利”现 为其出现是由于“对物种有利”的这种想法是一个非 象并不存在 常普遍的误解。这是绝对和完全错误的。自然选择将 有利于那些传给大多数后裔的基因,即使这些基因 有可能导致物种种群大小的下降
规律2：生态学 只有按照进化 论才可理解 有机体巨大的多样性，以及其形态学、生理学和行为 的变异的丰富性，全都是亿万年进化的结果。这个进 化历史对于每一个个体都留下了不能去除的影响。我 们今天发现的种种模式，只有按照进化论的观点才可 能有意义。 规律3：“对动 物种有利”现 象并不存在 对于那些看起来对个体是花费的有机体行为模式，认 为其出现是由于“对物种有利”的这种想法是一个非 常普遍的误解。这是绝对和完全错误的。自然选择将 会有利于那些传给大多数后裔的基因，即使这些基因 有可能导致物种种群大小的下降
Rule 2 Ecology is only understandable in the light of evolution. The huge diversity of organisms, and the wealth of variety in their morphologies, physiologies and behavior are all the result of many millions of years of evolution. Thos evolutionary history has left an indelible impression on each and every individual. It is only possible to make sense of the patterns we find today in the light of this evolutionary legacy Rule 3 Nothing happens'for the good of the sp A very common misconception is the idea that patterns of behavior in organisms which appear to be costly to an individual occur for the good of the species. This is absolutely and completely wrong. Natural selection will favor those genes which are passed on to the most offspring even if these genes may cause a reduction in the species population size
Rule 2 Ecology is only understandable in the light of evolution. The huge diversity of organisms, and the wealth of variety in their morphologies, physiologies and behavior are all the result of many millions of years of evolution. Thos evolutionary history has left an indelible impression on each and every individual. It is only possible to make sense of the patterns we find today in the light of this evolutionary legacy. Rule 3 Nothing happens’ for the good of the species’. A very common misconception is the idea that patterns of behavior in organisms which appear to be costly to an individual occur’ for the good of the species’. This is absolutely and completely wrong. Natural selection will favor those genes which are passed on to the most offspring, even if these genes may cause a reduction in the species’population size
规律4:基因和有机体自己所处的环境,对于它在开放的各种选择中 环境都很重要决定取舍上,具有重要的作用。决定有权体构造的基 因,同样具有根本的重要性。这两方面因素的基本性 质及其相互作用,对于理解生态学都是很重要的。 规律5:理解复 生态学是一复杂的对象,几乎每一个尺度都有大量变 杂性要求模型异—亿万个种,每种有大量基因变异,在复杂和动 态的环境中有变化着的数量和随时间而改变的行为。 为了理解它,必需清楚的认明特异问题,然后形成可 以检验的假设。以数学的思想方法构造假说常常是很 有用的,可以躲开在语言模型中不能避免的含糊不 和混淆。数学模型在生态学里被广泛的应用
规律4：基因和 环境都很重要 有机体自己所处的环境，对于它在开放的各种选择中 决定取舍上，具有重要的作用。决定有权体构造的基 因，同样具有根本的重要性。这两方面因素的基本性 质及其相互作用，对于理解生态学都是很重要的。 规律5：理解复 杂性要求模型 生态学是一复杂的对象，几乎每一个尺度都有大量变 异——亿万个种，每种有大量基因变异，在复杂和动 态的环境中有变化着的数量和随时间而改变的行为。 为了理解它，必需清楚的认明特异问题，然后形成可 以检验的假设。以数学的思想方法构造假说常常是很 有用的，可以躲开在语言模型中不能避免的含糊不清 和混淆。数学模型在生态学里被广泛的应用
Rule 4 Genes and environment are both important The environment an organism finds itself in plays an important role in determining the options open to that individual. The genes which define an organism's makeup are also of fundamental importance. To understand ecology it is important to appreciate the fundamental nature of both of these factors and the fact that they interact Rule 5 Understanding complexity requires models. Ecology is a complex subject, with huge variation at almost every scale-millions of species, each with considerable genetic variation, varying numbers and ever-changing behaviors in a complex and dynamIc environment. To understand it, it is necessary to clearly identify specific questions and then formulate hypotheses which can be tested. It is often very useful to frame the hypothesis in mathematical terms to avoid ambiguity and confusion which are often inevitable in a verbal model Mathematical models are widely used in ecology
Rule 4 Genes and environment are both important. The environment an organism finds itself in plays an important role in determining the options open to that individual. The genes which define an organism’s makeup are also of fundamental importance. To understand ecology it is important to appreciate the fundamental nature of both of these factors and the fact that they interact. Rule 5 Understanding complexity requires models. Ecology is a complex subject, with huge variation at almost every scale-millions of species, each with considerable genetic variation, varying numbers and ever-changing behaviors in a complex and dynamic environment. To understand it,it is necessary to clearly identify specific questions and then formulate hypotheses which can be tested. It is often very useful to frame the hypothesis in mathematical terms to avoid ambiguity and confusion which are often inevitable in a verbal model. Mathematical models are widely used in ecology