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Biology III: Essentials of Ecology
Last Updated: 2026-07-21 00:35:09
Abstract
This course is for students needing further ecological background. Topics covered include population growth, species interactions, the movement of energy and nutrients through ecosystems, and ecological responses to environmental change will be covered. Applications of ecological concepts to conservation and restoration will also be covered.
Objective
Students will understand how ecological processes operate in natural communities. They will appreciate how mathematical theory, field experimentation, and observational studies combine to generate a predictive science of ecological processes. Upon completing the course, students will be able to: - Understand models of population growth, and the processes they represent - Gain knowledge of the factors determining the outcome of species interactions (e.g. competition, predation, mutualism), and their implications for populations and communities. - Understand how diversity is maintained and why it varies across environmental and disturbance gradients, and during succession - Appreciate how energy and nutrients cycle throughout ecosystems . - Understand how anthropogenic change influences populations, communities and ecosystems - Appreciate how ecological principles underlie restoration and conservation efforts.
Content
Readings from a text book will focus on understanding central processes in ecology.