Revised 08/2024

BIO 270 - General Ecology (4 CR.)

Course Description

Studies interrelationships between organisms and their natural and cultural environments with emphasis on populations, communities, and ecosystems. Lecture 3 hours. Recitation and laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week.

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 major’s 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

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

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