Effective: 2021-08-01

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

This is a one semester course designed to build upon the student's understanding of the basic principles and concepts of ecology attained in prerequisite courses. It serves as a lab science option. It is intended to prepare students for majors level coursework in ecology and evolution.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: Any two of the following prerequisites: BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 110, BIO 120

Course Objectives

• Scientific Literacy
• Critically evaluate readings to determine their validity and relevance.
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Perform accurate calculations, interpret scientific data and graphs, and use results to support conclusions.
• Analyze data collected through experiments in lab. Present and discuss the findings and conclusions derived from data, with chart/spreadsheet and graphs.
• Use mathematical models to simulate ecological interactions and make predictions. Interpret graphs and tables generated by the models.
• Critical Thinking
• Discriminate among degrees of credibility, accuracy, and reliability of inferences drawn from given data. Determine when conclusions are supported by the information provided.
• Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
• Explain science as a way of knowing about the world. Compare and contrast ecology, environmental science, and environmentalism.
• Explain how ecologists using scientific methods to study the world at different levels of interaction.
• Explain the general trends in the physical environment on Earth (e.g., latitude, elevation, seasons, convection currents).
• Compare and contrast the major terrestrial and aquatic biomes found on Earth.
• Explain the concept of a niche.
• Compare and contrast different modes of evolution.
• Explain how mathematical models can be used by ecologists.
• Use the Hardy-Weinberg principle to determine whether a population is evolving
• Physiological and Behavioral Ecology
• Explain the difference between conformers and regulators, including advantages/disadvantages of each approach.
• Compare and contrast the ways organisms deal with temperature.
• Compare and contrast the ways organisms deal with water availability.
• Compare and contrast the ways organisms deal with energy availability.
• Compare and contrast the ways organisms deal with nutrient availability.
• Compare and contrast the ways organisms interact socially.
• Population Ecology
• Explain how ecologists measure size and density of various populations.
• Use a life table to understand and make predictions about a population.
• Compare and contrast various models of population growth.
• Compare and contrast the three types of survivorship curves.
• Explain density-dependent and density-independent effects.
• Explain how life history theory is applied to population ecology.
• Explain how populations may be better modeled as metapopulations.
• Population Interactions
• Describe the difference between fundamental and realized niches.
• Compare and contrast various outcomes of niche overlap.
• Describe the competitive exclusion principle.
• Use competition models to show how the outcome of competition depends on characteristics of the species and the environment.
• Use predator-prey models to make
• Compare and contrast functional responses.
• Describe strategies employed by species (predators/prey, herbivores/plants, and parasites/hosts) in consumptive relationships.
• Explain mutualism, including when such a relationship would be likely to be an evolutionary stable strategy.
• Community Ecology
• Explain how ecologists measure diversity within a community.
• Interpret a rank abundance curve.
• Calculate species diversity.
• Explain the concept of species succession and relate it to the biomes discussed in Unit 1.
• Explain the role of disturbance, stability, and resilience in ecological succession.
• Explain how the theory of island biogeography applies to community ecology.
• Ecosystem Ecology
• Explain the various roles in a food web.
• Compare and contrast the movement of energy and nutrients through a food web.
• Compare and contrast primary and secondary productivity.
• Compare and contrast competition and apparent competition.
• Explain how indirect relationships affect species within a community.
• Explain the concept of keystone species.
• Compare and contrast bottom-up and top-down control in a community.
• Explain the concept of a trophic cascade.
• Conservation Ecology
• Explain the reason that ecologists may be concerned with anthropogenic changes.
• Explain how overharvesting can lead to species extinction.
• Explain the role of habitat loss on ecological communities.
• Explain the role of pollution on species extinction.
• Explain how anthropogenic climate change affects ecosystems.
• Explain how invasive species disrupt communities.
• Explain how the theory of island biogeography can be applied to terrestrial landscapes.
• Apply ecological principles to human populations.

Major Topics to be Included

• Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
• Physiological and Behavioral Ecology
• Population Ecology
• Population Interactions
• Community Ecology
• Ecosystem Ecology
• Conservation Ecology