2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY2144 Population and Community Ecology

20 creditsClass Size: 200

Module manager: Prof Keith Hamer
Email: K.C.Hamer@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

Usually level 1 Biology core modules (or approval from the module manager)

Pre-requisites

BLGY1128

Living Planet

Co-requisites

BLGY2192

Experimental Design and Analysis

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how biological populations change through time, the factors that control the distribution and abundance of different populations, and the application of these principles to population management (eg fisheries, conservation of endangered species, pest control).They should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions between species and the properties of ecological communities. They should additionally be able to use a range of practical and analytical techniques to examine population size and structure and to quantify population dynamics.

Objectives

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to;
- demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of biological populations, the factors that control distribution and abundance, and the application of these principles to population management;
- demonstrate an understanding of the interactions between species and the properties of ecological communities;
- use a range of practical and analytical techniques to examine population size and structure and quantify population dynamics.

Skills outcomes
Statistics, experimental design, self-directed learning, written communication, group work.

Syllabus

- Population Ecology
- Demography and demographic analysis
- Intraspecific competition
- Population growth and its limits
- Regulation of abundance
- Importance of life-history and spatial dynamics
- Dispersal and metapopulations
- Applications of population biology: harvesting, conservation and pest control.
- Community Ecology
- Inter-specific competition
- Predator-prey interactions
- Mutualism and pollination
- Multi-trophic interactions
- Responses to environmental variation
- Patterns in diversity
- Biodiversity loss and ecosystems
- Applications in community ecology.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	24	1.00	24.00
Practical	8	3.00	24.00
Private study hours			152.00
Total Contact hours			48.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

152 hours
- reviewing recordings of lectures material posted on the VLE.
- working through directed learning material posted on the VLE.
- review of papers and other published material from lectures and reading lists.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Summative assessment of laboratory work.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Practical Report	4 x practical reports	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		40.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	3 hr	60.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		60.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 04/04/2017

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