2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY2155 Population, Community and Conservation Ecology

20 Credits Class Size: 92

Module manager: Dr Cassandra Raby
Email: C.Raby@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Pre-requisite qualifications

Usually Level 1 Biology core modules or approval from the module manager.

Co-requisites

Module replaces

BLGY2144 Population and Community Ecology

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how biological populations change through time, the factors that control the distribution and abundance of different populations, and the application of these principles to population management. They should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions between species and their environment, the properties of ecological communities, and the application of these principles to key challenges in ecology. They should be able to apply the fundamentals of ecological to practical conservation practices that apply to population dynamics and community management. They should additionally be able to use a range of practical and analytical techniques to examine and quantify population and community dynamics.

Objectives

This module examines the fundamental processes and mechanisms that explain patterns found in ecological populations, communities and ecosystems. This knowledge is then applied to a range of contemporary questions in ecology, such as population management, invasive species, responses to climate change, and conservation.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be able to;
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of biological populations, the factors that control distribution and abundance, and the application of these principles to population management and conservation;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the interactions between species, the environment, and the properties of ecological communities;
3. Use a range of practical and analytical techniques to examine population and community dynamics.

Skills outcomes

Statistics, experimental design, self-directed learning, written communication, problem solving, group work.

Syllabus

- Population Ecology
- Demography
- Intraspecific competition
- Population growth and its limits
- Importance of life-history
- Dispersal and metapopulations
- Applications of population biology in conservation and species management.
- Community Ecology
- Inter-specific competition
- Predator-prey interactions
- Mutualism and pollination
- Multi-trophic interactions
- Responses to environmental variation
- Patterns in diversity
- Biodiversity loss
- Applications in community ecology
- Spatial conservation of habitats and communities.

Teaching Methods

Private study

160.5 hours
- reviewing recordings of lectures and material posted on Minerva.
- working through directed learning material posted on Minerva, such as numerical self-assessment questions.
- review of papers and other published material from lectures and reading lists.
- group working to produce 3 x practical assessments.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Summative assessment of laboratory work; 3 x practical reports.

Building on experience from 2020/21, we will use group-based clinics to assess progress and to provide formative feedback on practical reports.

Feedback on report 2 is marked and returned to students so that they have time to assess and apply that feedback when completing report 3.

Methods of Assessment

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading List

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 9/27/2024

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team