BIOL 3550 - Ecology (TN eCampus)

(3 credits)

Prerequisites/Corequisites: The student must have completed BIOL 1110 and BIOL 1120 (or their equivalents) in order to have a working knowledge of basic biological concepts as well as an introduction to the topics to be covered in this course.

This course introduces the basic concepts of ecology, the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their habitat. The course begins with a review of the basics of evolution and natural selection, since many of the ideas in ecology depend on organisms attempting to maximize their fitness. It then covers, in order, the ecology of individuals, considering some aspects of both physiological and behavioral ecology; the ecology of groups of individuals, or populations; and finally, the ecology of groups of populations, or communities, and how they interact with each other. Lectures will consist primarily of PowerPoint presentations, and there will be demonstrations of important concepts using programs such as Populus. Evaluation of student progress will be done with examinations, quizzes, and homework assignments (including web-based research). This course is for teachers who are seeking a Biology Add-on Endorsement ONLY. It will not substitute for required ecology courses in the Biological Sciences or related majors.

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