Introduction to Ecology (4) The concept of an ecosystem; organismal energetics; biogeochemical cycles; succession; population growth; species interactions, species diversity; implications for human ecosystems. Lectures, discussion.

This course is designed to introduce non-major students to the concepts and issues related to the science of ecology. We begin with two lectures on evolution and natural selection because these ideas are central to all fields of biology, particularly ecology. The rest of the course is divided into three general units:

(1) Population ecology: we study different models of population growth and factors that regulate population growth in various organisms, including humans. (2) Community ecology: we study ways in which two or more species interact and apply these ideas to current issues such as invasive species and loss of biodiversity. (3) Ecosystem ecology: we study ecosystem processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling between various ecosystem components. These are done using a case study such as tall grass prairie ecosystems, fire, and bison grazing.

Students attend two 80-minute lectures per week and a one hour discussion per week. The discussions are designed to expand on the concepts covered in lecture. Topics include: the evolution of Galapagos finches; preserving biodiversity of salmon in the Pacific Northwest; modeling human population growth and considering its impact on the environment; exploring the relationship between lynx predators and snowshoe hare prey; and examining local issues related to forest suppression.

There are no prerequisites for this class and no background in biology is necessary to perform successfully in the course.