BIOL 4253 - Principles of Ecology

 

Instructor:  Dr. Kyle E. Harms (no longer teaches this course)

Textbook:  Bowman & Hacker (2020) Ecology, 5th ed.

Although Kyle is no longer in the rotation to teach Principles of Ecology, you may contact Kyle to receive electronically the syllabus and PowerPoint files that he used to teach the course during the final semester in which he taught it, i.e., Spring 2022.

 

As a reminder that the ongoing discovery, development, and refinement of the principles of ecology - just like the principles of any branch of science - largely rely on basic scientific, evidence-based inquiry, enjoy the following resources:

 

Essay justifying basic science  –  P. Brennan (2013) "Why I Study Duck Genitalia"

Natural history note on caterpillars that eat dead gopher tortoise shells, in which the authors argue that this species (and by extension all species) are "infinitely worth knowing" (for both practical benefits, such as conservation purposes, and simply because they exist)  –  M. Deyrup (2005, see especially pg. 247) "A Caterpillar that Eats Tortoise Shells"

TED talk celebrating the "pursuit of ignorance" in science  –  S. Firestein (2013) "The Pursuit of Ignorance" 

Essay justifying basic science  –  A. Flexner (1939) "The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge"

Seven basic-science discoveries that "changed the world" - M. Marshall (2025) "Seven Basic Science Discoveries that Changed the World"

Essay justifying publicly funded basic science  –  D. Shiffman (2025) "Why Are We Funding This?"  

Essay justifying basic science - E. Snell-Rood (2025) "The Value of Basic Research"

TEDxLSU talk justifying basic science  –  J. Stephens (2014) "A Cathedral of Understanding"

Essay about science and scientists  –  E. O. Wilson (1998) "Scientists, Scholars, Knaves, and Fools"

 

Marie Curie's thoughtful justification of basic science (quoted in B. Rosemary Grant [2024] One Step Sideways, Three Steps Forward [pg. 113]):
"We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity."

 

Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson (2025, Abundance, pg. 202) provide abundant justification for funding and otherwise supporting basic science research in their book, e.g.:
"The serendipity of science is one reason why it's so important to untether research from politics and allow scientists to seek the truth freely without spending half their time deluged by bureaucratic paperwork and paralyzed by fear that their ideas might diverge from the moment's conventional wisdom."