Common Course Outline

Catalog Description

Course Description

This course teaches the basic principles of organismal, population, community, and ecosystem ecology, with an emphasis on applied ecology. The course is designed so that at the conclusion of the course students will have an appreciation and understanding of the principles of ecology and be able to: (1) explain the various biotic and abiotic forces acting on an organism in its natural environment, (2) determine the importance of these forces under varying conditions, and (3) predict how human activities may alter the effects of these forces. The lab portion of this course reemphasizes lecture concepts and offers hands-on experience with the concepts in the lab and/or field setting.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

November, 2024

Outline of Major Content Areas

1. Life and the Physical Environment
2. Abiotic and biotic factors
3. Variations in the physical environment
4. Levels of organization
5. Biological communities
6. Ecological niche
7. Geographical patterns
8. Biomes
9. Ecosystems
10. Nutrients and biogeochemical cycles
11. Food webs and trophic structure
12. Primary and secondary production
13. Organisms
14. Adaptations to life in varying environments
15. Life histories and evolutionary fitness
16. Populations
17. Demography
18. Life tables and survivorship
19. Life history patterns
20. Distributions
21. Population structures
22. Population growth models: density dependent and density independent
23. Population dynamics
24. Population genetics
25. Natural Selection
26. Speciation
27. Species Interactions
28. Interspecific and intraspecific competition
29. Mutualism
30. Commensalism
31. Parasitism
32. Predation and predator-prey relationships
33. Coevolution
34. Communities
35. Community structure
36. Community development
37. Succession
38. Biodiversity
39. Island Biogeography
40. Species diversity and richness
41. Ecological Applications
42. Conservation
43. Ecological crisis
44. Sustainability

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

1. Explain role of environmental factors including a rapidly changing climate on species distributions and abundance patterns.
2. Model and analyze characteristics of populations (e.g., population growth, predator-prey cycles, age structure, life history).
3. Explain species-to-species interactions (e.g., competition, predation, parasitism, niche partitioning.
4. Summarize characteristics of communities (e.g., trophic relationships, succession, effects of disturbance.).
5. Summarize characteristics of ecosystems (e.g., energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, complexity vs. stability, etc.).
6. Explain the significance of Island Biogeography and the species-area relationship to Conservation Biology.
7. Explain evolution and defend as the unifying principle of biological science.
8. Explain the processes and mechanisms of evolution.
9. Contrast adaptation and acclimation.
10. Summarize species concepts and speciation.
11. Explain factors that determine species distribution as well as rates of extinction, speciation, and movement.
12. Apply the concepts of ecology to conservation biology.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

Goal 3

The student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of scientific theories.
2. Formulate and test hypotheses by performing laboratory, simulation, or field experiments in at least two of the natural science disciplines. One of these experimental components should develop, in greater depth, students' laboratory experience in the collection of data, its statistical and graphical analysis, and an appreciation of its sources of error and uncertainty.
3. Communicate their experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing.

Goal 10/People and the Environment

The student will be able to:

1. Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems.
2. Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
3. Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems.
4. Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues.

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

• Exams
• Laboratory activities and assignments
• Lecture Assignments
• Group projects
• Presentations

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Critical Thinking

Students will think systematically and explore information thoroughly before accepting or formulating a position or conclusion.

Special Information (if any)

The initial lab session explains and familiarizes the student with general safety hazards and safety equipment in the lab. During the pre-lab discussion, the hazardous characteristics of any materials used during the lab are discussed. In addition, if the lab involves any potentially infectious material, the students will be instructed on the proper use and disposal. The instructor will direct all students to wear necessary protective equipment while working with any hazardous chemicals. Safety Data Sheets for chemicals used are available online. Field lab work will also be part of this course, so students will be outside for some lab activities.