BIOL 310 Ecology & Web of Interrelatedness

Examines the intricate relationships between organisms and their environments including concepts of species diversity, energy flow, ecosystem organization, life history, ecological niche, habitat, system stability, species coexistence, complexity, scaling, and thresholds. Emphasis placed on the local environment. Prerequisites: BIOL 203 and MATH 102. (NS)

Credits

5

Outcomes

1. Assess factors of abiotic environments that control ecosystem productivity.
2. Make linkages between the physiology of organisms and their life history strategies.
3. Identify the influences of regional- and global-level climate cycles on local ecosystems.
4. Quantify the capture of energy by ecosystems, and its flow through local ecosystem food webs.
5. Describe the dynamics of species distribution and abundance in local ecosystems.
6. Characterize predation, mutualism, competition, cooperation, succession, disturbance, and other interactions between species.