Ecology Laboratory builds on lecture themes of population structure and dynamics, community organization and classification, and ecosystem nutrient and energy flows.
Athena Title
Ecology Laboratory
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in ECOL 3505L, FANR 3200L
Prerequisite
[(BIOL 1104 and BIOL 1104L) or (BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or (BIOL 2108H and BIOL 2108L)] and [(CHEM 1211 and CHEM 1211L) or (CHEM 1311H and CHEM 1311L)]
Corequisite
ECOL 3500 or ECOL 3505H
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will improve their ability to observe the natural world, develop scientific writing, and provide practice formulating hypotheses about how and why things occur in nature and testing those hypotheses using data. This course uses inquiry-based learning, which seeks to provide a realistic experience conducting ecological research. During a semester-long project, students will work in teams to design an original ecological study, collect and analyze data, and communicate your results.
Students will collect and analyze environmental data to make evidence-based interpretations about real-world ecological scenarios.
Students will develop relevant ecological research questions and hypotheses based on observations of the natural world.
Students will design and implement an ecological research study through collaborative teamwork.
Students will communicate scientific knowledge and findings through writing.
Topical Outline
Experimental design
Data analysis and interpretation
Scientific writing and communication
Organism adaptations
Population ecology & conservation
Stream ecology
Disease ecology
Forest ecology
Urban ecology
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
