Life Sciences
Population & Community Ecology
Module code: C1861
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Workshop, Lecture, Laboratory
Assessment modes: Coursework
Community formation and interactions within populations are fundamental to ecosystem function. They impact how species survive, thrive and go extinct.
This module introduces you to core principles including:
- population dynamics
- predator-prey interactions
- analyses of different levels of diversity (alpha, beta)
- trait analyses
- community assembly rules.
Through lectures, practicals and lab work you will develop the knowledge and skills required to understand community and population ecology, and how to apply them in fieldwork.
Using the data sets generated from monitoring on campus, you will apply analytical methods learnt on the module, including species accumulation curves, rarefaction and trait analyses.
Develop knowledge and skills that underpin employment and advanced study in ecology and conservation, from ecological restoration to the conservation of endangered species.
Module learning outcomes
- Discuss and explain key principles in population and community ecology (e.g., trophic networks and energy flow, measures of biodiversity, community assembly rules)
- Use long-term monitoring data appropriately, taking into account their limitations, to address a key question in population and community ecology
- Write concisely, with scientific rigour and to present complex data clearly to a lay audience
- Critically assess and interpret population and community ecology datasets using appropriate statistical methods.