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Syllabus ECOLOGY - 71530
עברית
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Last update 19-10-2017
HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 1st degree (Bachelor)

Responsible Department: agroecology & plant health

Semester: 2nd Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Rehovot

Course/Module Coordinator: Prof. Moshe Coll

Coordinator Email: Moshe.Coll@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: By appointment

Teaching Staff:
Prof Moshe Coll

Course/Module description:
An introduction to the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence the abundance and distribution of organisms in the field; interactions between organisms: predation, competition, mutualism; population dynamic; population genetics; behavioral ecology; communities and biogeography; biogeochemical and nutrient cycling; man and environment.

Course/Module aims:
To teach the basic processes that shape the structure and function of ecological systems; to illustrate the importance of ecological research to humans; and present approaches to conserve ecosystems and reduce adverse effects of humans on the environment.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Define biodiversity and ecological systems. Describe main ecological interactions. Identify major forces in ecosystems. Compare agricultural and natural ecosystems. Evaluate the complexities of some popular ecological debates.

Attendance requirements(%):
100, except lessons during the drop-add-courses period

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Lecture

Course/Module Content:
1- Introduction: what is ecology and why is it important? The organism in the environment. The structure of ecological systems
2- The organism: metabolism and resource needs. Physiological and ecological tolerance.
3- The population I: size regulation, life table analysis, life history strategies
4- The population II: dynamics, interactions between populations
5- Ecological interactions I: animal-plant, predator- prey
6- Ecological interactions II: competition, mutualism
7- Behavioral ecology: optimal foraging, mating strategy, ecological game theory
8- Population genetics and evolutionary processes: speciation, coevolution, sociobiology
9- The community I: structure, species diversity, energy and nutrient flow
10- The community II: changes in time and space – succession and biogeography
11- Biogeochemical cycles
12- Pollution I: water & air pollution, heavy metals, pesticides
13- Pollution II: greenhouse effect, global climate changes
14- Habitat fragmentation, biological invasions, resource exploitation; Conservation biology

Required Reading:
none

Additional Reading Material:
Begon M, Harper JL & Colin RT 1990 Ecology: Individuals, Populations, and Communities. 2nd ed. Blackwell Science. 945 pp.
Chapman JL & Reiss MJ 1992 Ecology: Principles and Applications. Cambridge University Press. 294 pp.
Colinvaux P 1993 Ecology 2. John Wiley & Sons. 688 pp.
Dodson SI et al. 1998 Ecology. Oxford University Press. 434 pp.
Krebs CJ 2001 Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. 5th ed. Benjamin Cummings. 695 pp.
McNaughton SJ & Wolf LL 1979 General Ecology. 2nd ed. Holt, Rinehart & Winston. 702pp.
Ricklefs RE & Miller GL 1999 Ecology. 4th ed. Freeman & Co. 822 pp.

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 100 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information:
None
 
Students needing academic accommodations based on a disability should contact the Center for Diagnosis and Support of Students with Learning Disabilities, or the Office for Students with Disabilities, as early as possible, to discuss and coordinate accommodations, based on relevant documentation.
For further information, please visit the site of the Dean of Students Office.
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