UMUC-Europe Syllabus

BIOL 215 Population Biology and General Ecology (3) A general introduction to population and community biology. Topics include evolution, population genetics, population growth and steady states, age structure of populations, multispecies dependencies, and ecosystem energetics. Illustrations are drawn from both natural and human populations. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: BIOL 215 or ZOOL 270.

Course Goals/Objectives:

After completing this course, students should be able to do the following: * explain the relationship between organisms and their environment * describe the key components of ecosystems including: productivity, food chains, energy flow, and nutrient cycles * summarize the characteristics of populations and the factors affecting growth and regulation * evaluate community interactions such as competition, predation and symbiosis among populations * explain the principles of ecological succession * describe the tools used to solve applied problems in conservation and management of animal and plant populations * define genetic terms and solve genetic problems * delineate the reasons behind population growth, quantify population growth, and detail the impacts of animal population growth * describe the scientific method and its use to solve ecological problems * utilize critical thinking as a means of understanding ecological problems and their potential solutions * explain how ecologists measure the density of a species * define biodiversity, and describe the many benefits of biodiversity * provide the main reasons for species loss * describe the principles of evolution, and the mechanisms that account for speciation and extinction

Course Introduction:

This course connects students with the human population and it's effects on global ecological systems. The impact of humankind on ecosystems has consequences and implications for global economic, political, and social systems and therefore an understanding of the basic principles of ecology are of interest to students majoring in a variety of non-science fields. This course will describe the various interacting factors that contribute to the overall health of ecosystems including evolution and species diversity, populations and their interactions with each other and the environment, and atmospheric and geological conditions, events, and cycles. The various habitats in which ecosystems exist will also be described in detail, as well as the ways in which the specific living and non-living components of each habitat effect one another. The knowledge gained in this course will allow students to form informed opinions and make informed decisions on such controversial environmental issues as clean air and water, wetland preservation, endangered species, logging, ozone depletion, global warming and many others.

Grading Information and Criteria:

Grades in this course will be determined as follows: 10% Class Participation 30% Ecology File 20% Exam 1 20% Exam 2 20% Final Exam The grading scale in this course will be determined as follows: A = 90%-100% B = 80%-89% C = 70%-79% D = 60%-69% F = 0%-59%

Other Information:

None

Project Descriptions:

Ecology File Your Ecology File should include 10 current (published within the last year) print-based (magazines, newspapers, etc) or Internet articles that you have found throughout the course. Each of these articles should be substantial in length - i.e. longer than 1-2 paragraphs. You should also provide 1) a summary of each article in your own words, and 2) a combined summary of all 10 articles in your own words, in which you indicate how the topics in these articles are related to one another and integrated in nature, as well as how they sum up your ideas and arguments as related to environmental science in today's world. Exams Two interim and a final exam are required in this course. These exams will include the topics and skills covered in the required readings, lectures, and class discussions.

Academic Policies:

Cases of plagiarism are handled consistent with current UMUC guidelines. See the UMUC policies at the following URL: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/

Course Schedule:

Session 1 Topics: Nature of Ecology / Adaptation & Evolution Elements of Ecology, chapters 1-2 Session 2 Topics: Climate & the Abiotic Environment Elements of Ecology, chapters 3-4 Session 3 Topics: Soil & Plant Adaptations to the Environment Elements of Ecology, chapters 5 & 8 Session 4 Topics: Properties of Populations & Population Growth Elements of Ecology, chapters 9-10 Session 5 Topics: Interspecific Population Regulation and Life History Patterns Elements of Ecology, chapters 11-12 Session 6 Topics: Community Structure and Interspecific Competition Elements of Ecology, chapters 13-14 Exam 1 Session 7 Topics: Predation, Parasitism, & Mutualism Elements of Ecology, chapters 15-16 Session 8 Topics: Processes Shaping Communities and Human Interactions within Communities Elements of Ecology, chapters 17-18 Session 9 Topics: Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Productivity Elements of Ecology, chapters 19-20 Session 10 Topics: Nutrient Cycling & the Biogeochemical Cycles Elements of Ecology, chapters 21-22 Session 11 Topics: Human Intrusions into the Biogeochemical Cycles, Biogeograhy, and Biodiversity Elements of Ecology, chapters 23-24 Exam 2 Session 12 Topics: Terrestrial Ecosystems Elements of Ecology, chapters 25-26 Session 13 Topics: Freshwater, Estuarine, Marine, and Wetlands Ecosystems Elements of Ecology, chapters 27-29 Session 14 Topics: Global Environmental Change Elements of Ecology, chapter 30 Ecology File Due Session 15 Review for Final Session 16 Final Examination