Course Summary
This course covers theoretical ecology and practical skills in ecological surveying, analysis, critical evaluation and report writing, enabling the study of ecological systems and applied ecological problems. Topics covered are:
- Basic ecological principles - individual to population level. Evolution, natural selection and adaptation, population sizes and distributions, population growth and dynamics.
- Basic ecological principles - community to ecosystem level. Biotic interactions and food webs, community structure and dynamics, biodiversity, disturbance and succession, energy flows, productivity and nutrient cycling, large-scale ecology.
- Practical ecology. Experimental design, survey techniques for aquatic and terrestrial habitats, assessment of environmental quality and factors influencing populations, communities and ecosystems.
- Applied ecology. Environmental degradation and management, invasive species, biodiversity loss, habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change and extreme climatic events.