Introduction to Ecology

 

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Oden Island: What, Where, and Why

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Oden Island is a small 50 acre island sitting in Crooked Lake in Conway, Michigan. The island itself is a nature preserve, filled with old growth trees and wetlands.  Source: Little Traverse Bay Conservancy  This area is important to me as my family (my extended family, including second and third cousins) has lived in this area for generations. While I grew up in Southern Indiana, we spent our summers and most winter breaks on Crooked Lake. As a child, I spent summers playing in the woods, trying to avoid leeches while I looked for Petoskey Stones on the beach, and taking the boat out to the middle of the lake for a swim or anchoring on the sand bar. I remember when both Asian Carp and Zebra Mussels came to the lake, and my parents telling us how to be on the watch for both given fears of Asian Carp jumping out while someone was skiing, etc. behind a boat, or the deep cuts Zebra Mussels can make on toes and feet. To this day, one of my most favorite things to do (and what tru...
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What is Biodiversity? And, Why Does it Matter?

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 What is Biodiversity? Generally speaking, biodiversity represents the varied collection of both known and unknown (i.e., not yet discovered) species of plants, animals, and other organisms like fungi and bacteria. These species working and existing together results in unique ecosystems. Source: The Santa Cruz Mountains Bioregional Council And, Why Does it Matter?  Biodiversity is  itself life, but it also supports human life. As humans, we rely on natural resources to survive, and biodiversity is crucial to ensure those natural resources - for example, clean water - can continue to be available.  At the local level, biodiversity ensures local ecosystems function properly and are able to provide services to the surrounding community, from pollinating flowers or crops, keeping the number of invasive species in check, or helping to ensure migratory species (who also provide ecosystems services) have a safe habitat and abundant food source.  Regionally, biodiversit...
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