Course Description
Examination of the diversity of plant-animal interactions from
an ecological (population, community), evolutionary (phylogeny,
adaptation), and mechanistic (structure-function, interaction
dynamics, development) perspective.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students must design an experiment of their choice on
the subject of plant-animal interactions. Designs will be
presented in class. We will discuss the designs of the
experiments as a group. Also, graduate students will be provided
with a data set from a real experiment. Students must figure out
the most appropriate way to analyze the data, conduct the
analysis, and write a short 1-2 page results section with
figures/tables.
Athena Title
Plant Animal Interactions
Prerequisite
BIOL 1108 or BIOL 2108H
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- The diverse interactions between plants and animals are of fundamental importance to the structure and function of natural ecosystems. In many cases, additional organisms may be involved, making these interactions even more intriguing. This course will offer an overview of these diverse interactions with an opportunity to explore them more deeply from an ecological (population, community), evolutionary (phylogeny, adaptation), and a mechanistic (structure-function, dynamics of interactions, developmental) perspective. After successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:
- Analyze and explain the ecology, evolution, and mechanisms of diverse plant-animal interactions and apply these insights.
- Read scientific papers, verbally discuss their findings, and lead a class discussion on a select research paper
(including questions of experimental design, the methods and analyses used, and follow-up research questions).
- Communicate the science of plant-animal interactions to an audience of non-scientists: write and review blog posts (and/or other communication media).
- Identify a relevant question in this research field, review the literature, and propose and justify an experiment in the form of a grant proposal (graduate students).
Topical Outline
- Community Ecology: The Nature of Interactions
- Diversity of Plant-Animal Interactions
- Research Questions in Plant-Animal Interactions
- The Interdisciplinary Nature of Plant-Animal Interaction Research
- Case studies of Plant-Animal Interaction Research
- Research Frontiers in Plant-Animal Interactions
