General Ecology
Onesimus Otieno, Biological Sciences
Oakwood College
Summary
A study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environment will be undertaken. Laboratories and field trips are designed to introduce the student to techniques used in basic ecological research and issues in Natural Resource Management. Three hours of laboratory are required each week. Prerequisite: BI 132.
Course Size:
less than 15
Course Format:
Lecture and lab
Institution Type:
Private four-year institution, primarily undergraduate
Course Context:
This is a senior level course taken by Biology and Biology Education majors. It is one of the two courses that focuses on the Ecological/Environmental Sciences. The pre-requisite for this course is a full year of General Biology. Laboratory sessions are dedicated to research techniques and issues in Natural Resource Management.
Course Content:
The course gives an overview of natural nutrient cycles, climate, biomes, human ecology and topical issues such as energy, agriculture, disease ecology, and sustainable development. This workshop would help contextualize issues in natural resource management and resource distribution.
Course Goals:
The goals for this course are to;
- Correctly apply the scientific method in ecological themes
- Demonstrate integration of cellular, systemic, and organismal processes.
- Illustrate basic biological concepts in ecology.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform quantitative analysis using instrumentation or other technological resources such as remote sensing and geospatial data.
- Correctly apply the scientific method in ecological themes
- Demonstrate integration of cellular, systemic, and organismal processes.
- Illustrate basic biological concepts in ecology.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform quantitative analysis using instrumentation or other technological resources such as remote sensing and geospatial data.
Course Features:
The course makes use of case studies that are adapted or developed by the instructor to imitate real life situations and provoke critical thinking through application of concepts learnt in the course. Students take part role plays and later critique their decisions through group discussions.
Course Philosophy:
This course is intended to introduce students to ecological concepts and skills to help demonstrate some of these. Students are also introduced to issues in sustainability and concepts that drive policy in natural resource management issues.
Assessment:
Assessment is done through class tests, online quizes, lab reports, and homework assignments.
Syllabus:
Course Sylabus (Microsoft Word 186kB May1 17)