644 General and Applied Biology 



outline given earlier in this chapter. You may study the ccologic rela- 

 tions of all the living plants and animals in a certain well-defined area, 

 or you may attempt to ascertain the influence of all the factors (heredi- 

 tary, chemical, physical, and human) on the distribution of one par- 

 ticular species. Be very accurate in your observations, records, and 

 interpretations of your data. 



QUESTIONS AND TOPICS 



1. Select several different types of environments (upon consultation with the 

 instructor) and make an ecologic study of the animals and plants in each area 

 studied. Make use of the outline as presented in the chapter, adding or 

 omitting as may be necessary for your particular problems. Record the data 

 carefully after you hav^e made the scientific observations. Make proper inter- 

 pretations of your data and formulate conclusions which can be drawn logically 

 from the data collected. 



2. How can a knowledge of ecology be beneficial in the successful cultivation of 

 vegetables and flowers? Give specific explanations. 



3. How can a knowledge of ecology be beneficial in the proper care and opera- 

 tions of an out-of-door pool? Of an aquarium? Of a terrarium? 



4. List some probable factors which might influence migrations of certain species 

 of animals. 



5. Study some maps which show the annual rainfall for the United States and 

 interpret the distribution of certain types of plants in the light of this infor- 

 mation. 



6. Explain why cotton is primarily a southern crop. Give specific reasons. 



7. Give reasons for the limitation of the cultivation of corn to certain regions of 

 the United States. Do the same thing for wheat. 



8. Secure data on the areas where citrus fruits are grown in the United States 

 and attempt to explain why. 



9. Explain how the distribution of certain types of plants might influence the 

 distribution of certain t^qaes of animals and vice versa. 



10. List all the benefits which might be derived from a scientific ecologic study of 

 living organisms. How might you make practical applications of this infor- 

 mation in the future? 



SELECTED REFERENCES 



Allee: Animal Aggregations, University of Chicago Press. 



Allee: Social Life of Animals, W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. 



Allee, Emerson, Park, Park, and Schmidt: Animal Ecology, W. B. Saunders Co. 



Bates: The Nature of Natural History, Charles Scribner's Son. 



Braun-Blanquet: Plant Sociology, McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc. 



Chapman: Animal Ecology: With Special Reference to Insects, McGraw-Hill 



Book Co., Inc. 

 Clements and Shelford: Bioecology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 



Coker, Juday, Osburn, and Welch: Problems of Lake Biology, The Science Press. 

 Daubenmire: Plants and Environment, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

 Elton: Ecology of Animals, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 



