Introduction
Syllabus
Course
Information
Links & Readings
Bulletin
Board
Post
to Bulletin Board
Political
Screes
of the Day:
Simple
Living
Meat
Eating
Lecture Notes
(Will
open in new window - only use Internet Explorer)
1 - Intro Eco (html,
PPT)
2 - Pop Eco (html,
PPT)
3 - Comm Eco (html,
PPT)
4 - Ecosys Eco (html,
PPT)
5 - Cons Eco (html,
PPT)
PPT
files are zipped using WinZip
Assignments
1 - Ecol
Footprint
2 - Population
Growth
3 - Forensic
Entomology
4 - Invasion
Biology |
Introduction:
Ecology is the
study of the
interaction between the living components of the earth with the
environment.
Ecologists study the factors that explain the distribution and
abundance
of plants and animals. More and more we explore the impact of human
activities
on these distributions. Understanding the ecological foundation
of
a system enables the ecologist to predict how future changes may affect
the system. Ecology, for example, is critical for understanding
conservation,
biodiversity issues, global climate change, human alterations of the
environment,
and the impact of pollutants on ecological systems.
In this
Introductory Ecology
Module, we will begin by looking at the hierarchical structure of
ecology—species,
populations, communities, and ecosystems. Each lecture will focus
on a key ecological principle then provide applied examples to further
demonstrate the concept. These examples will be both classical
ecological
studies as well as current issues in ecology. Ultimately,
students
will be provided the tools to evaluate the importance of ecological
issues
that they daily encounter.
I am certain that
the course
will serve to equip you with at least a passing familiarity of the
major
theories in ecology. It will be an excellent opportunity to begin to
fill
in the gaps in your knowledge of ecology and allow you to further
explore
these issues in other Certificate Program modules and, hopefully in
your
day-to-day life.
Let's go!
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