Course overview
This course addresses advanced ecological concepts, building upon Ecology II, and providing a common anchor to other Ecology courses in Year III. It deals with populations, communities and ecosystems, and examines various approaches to their studies, including experiments and models. Students are provided with both an understanding of theoretical ecology as well as a foundation for ecological applications. Details of the 4 day compulsory field trip communicated at start of the course.
Course learning outcomes
- Understand central ecological concepts and analyse complex ecological problems using current conceptual frameworks
- search, find and critically read essential current literature in ecological journals and identify gaps in knowledge
- design studies to fill the current gaps in knowledge in ecological understanding, while working independently and in teams
- describe the utility and interpret the results of a variety of tools (experiments, field surveys and modelling) to study ecological systems
- report the findings of ecological studies in a clear, precise, and succinct way