Course Resources Archive
NS4204: Fundamentals of Ecology
| Module Title | Fundamentals of Ecology |
|---|---|
| Module Code | NS4204 |
| Module Tutor | Gregory J Masters |
| School | Natural and Social Sciences |
| CAT Points | 15 |
| Level of Study | 4 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Restrictions | Cannot be counted with BIO122 |
| Brief Description | This module will be of interest to students wishing to understand how organisms interact with one another and with their environment, and how changes to the environment (including those caused by humans) may affect these interactions. Students will explore the main ecological processes in terms of individuals, populations and communities and will also examine some of the main areas where human activity interactswith the environment, for example pollution, conservation, disease and agriculture. The module forms the basis for further study of ecology at future levels, including in NS5204 Ecological Impact Assessment and Monitoring and NS6201 Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology. |
| Indicative Syllabus | This module introduces ecology at the levels of individuals, populations and communities. Individuals are considered in terms of their physiological interactions with the environment and the causes of migration, dispersal and mortality, scaling up to different models of population growth. Ecological interactions such as competition, predation and parasitism lead to population-level processes, while larger-scale phenomena (such as energy flow and community structure) underpin an understanding of community and ecosystem ecology. Agriculture, disease, pollution, and conservation – key areas where humans and their environment interact – are also considered from the standpoint of applied biology. |
| Learning Outcomes | A student passing this module should be able to: 1. Describe how organisms are (or are not) adapted to their abiotic environment 2. Describe the principal processes involved in population growth 3. Explain the key ecological interactions of competition, predation and parasitism 4. Relate population-level ecological processes to community or ecosystem-level processes 5. Explain how ecological principles relate to selected areas of applied ecology 6. Present and interpret ecological data accurately and clearly |
| Learning and Teaching Activities | Scheduled Contact Hours: 36 Independent Learning Hours: 144 |
| Assessment (For further details see the Module Guide) | 001: 50% Coursework: Individual, other: 1000 words or equivalent 002: 50% Written Exam: End of year, unseen, closed book: 2.00 hours |
| Special Assessment Requirements | |
| Indicative Resources | The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide. |
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