Through a collaboration of scientists and educators at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, an interactive online module was created as a means to share the ecological complexities associated with increases of Lyme disease in their environment with local students. The module illustrates the following conceptual framework for understanding ecological connections:
- Positive and negative relationships exist between organisms; one organism can positively or negatively affect another.
- One organism’s connection to another can vary in strength (i.e dependence) from being highly dependent, or influenced by, another organism to less dependent or influenced by another organism, to not influenced at all.
- Organism’s response to varying environmental conditions or resources in the system causes variation (such as their abundance).
- An organism can be affected by a change to a connected organism instantaneously or at some future time due to time lags in the system.
Team:
Lead Ecologists:
Clive Jones, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Rick Ostfeld, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Alan Berkowitz, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Cary Institute Educators:
Kim Notin, Education Leader
Cornelia Harris, Education Leader
Megan McLean, Education Specialist
Project Scientists:
Eric Schabuer, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Brett Goodwin, University of North Dakota
Charles Canham, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Felcia Keesing, Bard College
Kathleen LoGiudice, Rutgers University
Jesse Brunner, SUNY-ESF
Kelly Oggenfuss, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Shannon Duerr, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Teacher Fellows:
Colleen Bucci, Haviland Middle School, Hyde Park, NY
Donna Trunzo, Cairo-Durham Middle School, Cairo, NY
Bree Peni, Haviland Middle School, Hyde Park, NY
Patricia Jenkins, Haviland Middle School, Hyde Park, NY
Laurie Malin, Rombout Middle School, Beacon, NY
Cassandra Orser, Rombout Middle School, Beacon, NY
Glenn Burger, F.D. Roosevelt High School, Hyde Park, NY
Liana Bulmer, CHSN, NYC, NY
