Objectives
The students will improve their knowledge of the basic concepts of Ecology, with an emphasis on the themes and applications more relevant for the marine realm. They will thus be capable to apply that knowledge to the development of scientific hypothesis as well as to problems and controversies related to marine subjects.
Students will also be able to look, identify and describe natural patterns, to state hypothesis on the causes of those patterns and to draw and implement empirical tests to those hypotheses. In doing this, students will develop their competences in scientific reading and writing.
Syllabus
1. Autecology: ecological niche, life histories, population dynamics and social behaviour.
2. Population ecology: interspecific relationships of mutualism, predator-prey and competition
3. Communities and ecosystems: structure and stability of trophic chains, regulation of abundance, alternative stable states, ecosystem services.
Teaching Methods
A mix of participatory lectures (based on the previous reading of assigned texts) with practical classes, either on the lab or the shore. The students are required to keep a diary of patterns they observe or know about, and to develop explaining hypothesis. In the end, they will submit a proposal for a test of this hypothesis. Two written tests complete the assessment requirements.
Bibliography
- Begon, M., Townsend, C. R., & Harper, J. L. (2006). Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. Blackwell Publishing
- Speight, M. R., & Henderson, P. A. (2013). Marine ecology: concepts and applications. John Wiley & Sons.