BIOL& 221: Majors Ecology/Evolution

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Class Program

Biology

Credits

Weekly Contact Hours

Course ID

091493

Meets Degree Requirements For

Natural Science

Description

Major topics include the physical environment, how organisms interact with each other and their environment, evolutionary processes, population dynamics, communities, energy flow and ecosystems, human influences on ecosystems, and the integration and scaling of ecological processes through systems ecology.

Grading Basis

Graded

Prerequisites

BIOL& 211 or BIOL& 212 or BIOL& 213

Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the major environmental factors that affect organisms, including solar and terrestrial radiation, energy balance, temperature, water, wind, and climate.

Describe the responses of individual organisms to their environment including interactions with various environmental factors, and including an in-depth understanding of individual acclimation and species adaptation to the environment.

Demonstrate competence in population level ecology including the structure and growth of plant and animal populations, interactions among species, and models of population fluctuations.

Achieve a sound understanding of the major features of ecosystems including biodiversity, community structure, biogeography, energy flow, global mineral cycling, and succession.

Apply ecological principles to the management of ecosystems and natural resources.

Evaluate the relationship between human activities and ecosystems. Gain Lifelong learning and communication skills:
<ol type="1">
<li>Access and use supplemental information relevant to course topics.</li>
<li>Apply appropriate technology to ecological work and topics.</li>
<li>Critically evaluate and interpret articles and examples of ecological studies.</li>
</ol>
<p>Integrate coursework into a global view:</p>
<ol type="1">
<li>Analyze societal aspects of ecological issues.</li>
</ol>
<p>Predict consequences of environmental decisions to society</p>

Core Topics

Environmental factors that affect organisms such as solar and terrestrial radiation, temperature, water, wind, and climate.
How organisms interact with various environmental factors including acclimation and adaptation.
Species and populations structure, interaction, and growth.
Structure and function of ecosystems including community structure, succession, distribution in nature, energy flow, global mineral cycles, world ecosystem, and human influences on ecosystems.