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Module 5: Advanced Ecology

Module Summary

This module explores advanced concepts in ecology, with a focus on understanding long-term ecosystem dynamics and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to global biodiversity research. Students will examine how ecosystems change over time, the ecological processes and interactions that shape these changes, and how emerging AI approaches can help scientists monitor, analyze, and better understand biodiversity at scale.

Week 1 - Long-term Ecosystem Dynamics

Class Date: November 10, 2026

Instructor: Sydne Record

Recording from 11/10 synchronous session (To be posted after class)

Lesson Summary

In this week's lesson we will consider long-term ecosystem dynamics on the order of thousands to hundreds of years. We will look at ecosystems through the lenses of paleoecology and land use history to revisit the ecological concept of the niche and consider conservation benchmarks. Finally, we will consider what this all means for the course projects in Hawaii and Kenya.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Re-evaluate the definition of what defines a fundamental niche from a longer term paleoecological perspective.
  • Explain how succession and disturbance history may influence the wildlife observed in an area.
  • Compile information about the history of a field site and integrate that information into the design of an ecological study.

Pre-Lecture Activities and Reading

due by 2pm ET on Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Read

  1. Wildlife dynamics in the changing New England landscape David R. Foster, et al. (2002). Journal of Biogeography. (internal)
  2. Accompaniment to Foster paper Harvard Forest dioramas (Scroll through dioramas)
  3. Novel climates no‐analog communities and ecological surprises John W. Williams and Stephen T. Jackson. (2007). Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. (internal)

Complete

  1. In class, we will discuss the following questions in small breakout groups and report out on your group discussions to the larger group. Please respond to these questions and bring some discussion points to class:

    • In module 2, we discussed niches and the dynamics that shape them. How has your perspective on what constitutes the fundamental niche changed or not because of reading the Williams et al. 2007 paper? Do you have any new ideas about how the intersection of AI and ecology might help to better characterize the fundamental niches of species?
    • How have New England forest ecosystems changed through time considering succession? If you are unfamiliar with the term succession, consider reading the optional paper by Cowles 1899.
    • Thoreau was a famous naturalist who had a cabin on Walden Pond in Eastern Massachusetts in the 1850s. Pretend as if Thoreau had a wildlife camera set up at his cabin that created a continuous record of images up until present day. Based on these images, would the species of greatest conservation concern have been the same during Thoreau’s time as they are today?
    • Consider either the long-term ecosystem dynamics of Pu’u Maka’ala or Mpala. If you will be attending the field course in January, then choose the site that you plan to visit. What is the history of the ecology and land use of the sites that will be important for you to consider as you make your own observations? Note that to answer this question you will need to do some research on your own beyond the readings provided before class meets.

Post-class Assignments

  1. Journal Entry

    • Prompt: Based on your research into site histories, did you learn anything about your field site that would aid in your study design? For example, do you have a better idea of where you would want to or not want to place sensors, etc.? In a perfect world, any considerations would be actionable, but sometimes sites have additional constraints for study design. What site constraints might prevent you from incorporating this information into the study design?

Class Session Office Hours

Who: Aly East

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026

Time: 2pm Eastern Time

Zoom: Office Hour Zoom Link

Week 2 - Global Biodiversity: An AI Perspective

Class Date: November 17, 2026

Instructor: Laura Pollock

Recording from 11/17 synchronous session (To be posted after class)

Lesson Summary

This lesson introduces students to how scientists study, measure, and evaluate biodiversity change across spatial and temporal scales, with an emphasis on how AI can support global biodiversity research. Students will explore key concepts in biodiversity measurement, examine the ecological processes that shape patterns of biodiversity, and consider how changes in species composition can reveal important shifts in ecosystems - even when overall species richness remains unchanged. Through discussion and scientific debate, students will develop and articulate their perspectives on how biodiversity is changing and what those changes mean for ecosystems worldwide.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Define alpha, beta, and gamma diversity.
  • Understand the major ecological processes that operate at different scales.
  • Describe how species composition can change even when overall species richness remains constant.
  • Evaluate and defend different perspectives on global biodiversity change using ecological concepts and scientific evidence.

Pre-Lecture Activities and Reading

due by 2pm ET on Tuesday, November 17, 2026

Watch

  1. Funk Biogeography Seminar Series - Laura Pollock - November 2025

Read

  1. Sax, D. F. & Gaines, S. D. (2003). Species diversity: from global decreases to local increases. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 18(11), 561-566.
  2. Vellend, M. et al. (2013). Global meta-analysis reveals no net change in local-scale plant biodiversity over time. PNAS, 110(48), 19456–19459.
  3. Dornelas, M. et al. (2014). Assemblage time series reveal biodiversity change but not systematic loss. Science, 344(6181), 296–299.
  4. Gonzalez, A. et al. (2016). Estimating local biodiversity change: a critique of papers claiming no net loss of local diversity. Ecology, 97(8), 1949–1960.

Complete

Part 1: Research a few articles that study biodiversity change - the taxa, region, metric is up to you. Choose one of these and write a short discussion post on the findings and choose whether your study supports the notion that:

1) biodiversity is declining,

2) biodiversity is not declining (or even increasing), or

3) it's complicated. If you choose option 3, please explain why.

In your post, include a link to your chosen article.

Part 2: Read your classmates' discussion posts and select one of the articles shared by a peer to read. Then, respond to that classmate's post, explaining whether you agree or disagree with their perspective. Support your response with evidence or insights from the article you read, and engage thoughtfully with their interpretation of biodiversity change.

Post-class Assignments

  1. Journal Entry
    • Prompt: Think about how the field studies could link to this broader context of biodiversity change around the world. Is Hawaii a diversity hotspot? What about Kenya? What patterns do you expect to see in your data? E.g. are the insects declining in richness, changing in composition (e.g. replacement by non-native species), and what is the importance of structured, repeated surveys such as NEON in the quest to understand biodiversity change, especially in light of increasing alternative 'unstructured' data sources, such as citizen science data.

Class Session Office Hours

Who: Jake Beattie

Date: November 19, 2026

Time: 2pm ET

Zoom: Office Hour Zoom Link