AUTHOR
Laura Catano
Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
(laura.catano@ucr.edu)THE ISSUE
A central problem in ecology is understanding why some ecosystems support more species than others. In this activity, students analyze patterns of plant productivity and species richness at different sites and scales. They consider how local management (mowing, grazing) and global environmental gradients interact to create or obscure the expected relationships predicted by ecological theory.
FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ECOLOGY EDUCATION (4DEE) FRAMEWORK
- Core Ecological Concepts:
- Communities
- Ecosystems
- Ecology Practices:
- Quantitative reasoning and computational thinking
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Human-Environment Interactions:
- Human impacts on the environment from local to global scales
- Cross-cutting Themes:
- Space & time
Integration across 4DEE Dimensions
Students apply ecological practices (data interpretation) to explore core concepts (diversity-productivity relationships), while simultaneously thinking about human impacts (land use effects/climate change) and recognizing patterns across scales (different sites show different patterns). By asking students to develop hypotheses about why some sites deviate from expected trends, the activity integrates all four dimensions, requiring them to think critically about mechanisms, methodology, and context.
STUDENT-ACTIVE APPROACHES
- Figure 1: Through a series of guided inquiry questions completed in small teams, students describe and interpret a figure to reveal the general rule described by the Diversity Equilibrium Model (DEM). In a think, pair, share, students describe the DEM relationship in their own words, then pair and share in their teams.
- Figure 2: Through a series of guided inquiry questions completed in small teams, students describe and interpret a figure that illustrates DEM predictions in a controlled, real-world setting, allowing students to connect theory to empirical evidence. In a think, pair, share, students summarize how the real dataset reinforces the broader principle shown in the DEM figure in their own words, then pair and share in their teams.
- Figure 3: Through a series of guided inquiry questions completed in small teams, students describe and interpret a figure that illustrates the context-dependency of DEM predictions and highlights the effects scale on productivity-diversity relationships. In a think, pair, share, students use the figure to draw conclusions about the strengths and limitations of the Diversity Equilibrium Model (DEM).
STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
team data analysis answers. Optional concept map or mini research proposal extension activity
CLASS TIME
One 75-minute or two 50-minute class periods
COURSE CONTEXT
Biology majors, upper division undergraduate ecology course
DOWNLOADS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This activity was created as part of the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) Transforming Ecology Education to 4D (TEE) Fall 2025 Faculty Mentoring Network (FMN) led by Dr. Jamie M. Kneitel and Dr. Xuan Chen. The author came up with the concept and created the activity, receiving guidance from other members of the FMN and Dr. Christopher Catano. The manuscript benefitted from feedback from one anonymous reviewer and Christopher Beck. Funding for the activity was provided by a fellowship from the University of California, Riverside's Hellman Fellowship Program.
CITATION
Laura Catano. July 2026. A Data-Driven Investigation Exploring Productivity-Diversity Relationships Across Scales. Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology, Vol. 22: Practice #2. https://tiee.esa.org/vol/v22/issues/figure_sets/catano/abstract.html. doi: 10.25334/J3NY-9N58