Objectives
•Consolidate basic concepts of Ecology (e.g., ecosystem, community, population, niche, food chain, diversity, competition, mutualism, commensalism, symbiosis, parasitism, ecosystem services).
•Gain knowledge about the main threats to ecosystems (e.g., overexploitation, pollution, effects of climate change) and the challenges and solutions for their management and conservation.
•Develop skills for scientific research in ecology (literature review, interpretation and synthesis of scientific literature, scientific writing and communication, hypothesis formulation, sampling design, field data collection, biological sample analysis in the lab, and data analysis).
General characterization
Code
10651
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Carlos David da Silva Oliveira dos Santos
Hours
Weekly -
4
Total -
76
Teaching language
Português
Prerequisites
Do not apply
Bibliography
•Smith, T.M. and Smith, R.L. (2012) Elements of Ecology. 8th Edition, Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
•Newman, M.C. (2019). Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology: The Science of Pollution. CRC Press (only for class T11)
Teaching method
Teaching Model
•Theoretical classes will be based on PowerPoint presentations by the professor. Classes will follow two books, with the chapters identified in the first class. These chapters should be reviewed before each class.
•In practical classes students will learn how to develop a scientific project in Ecology, including experimental design, literature research, project planning, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of results. The classroom sessions will include thematic introductions by the professor, followed by practical exercises conducted in groups.
Active learning methods
•Active learning methods aim to actively involve students in the learning process, fostering problem-solving skills, autonomy, critical thinking, an investigative approach, and collaboration with peers.
•In each lecture, 30 minutes will be set aside for voluntary student presentations, lasting 5 minutes, to expand on topics discussed in the previous lecture. These presentations can be based on scientific articles, books, or other academic materials. After the presentation, there will be time for peer questions and comments. These presentations will be considered for the grade of the theoretical component (see Evaluation Criteria).
•Practical classes will focus on the various stages of a scientific project to be developed by the students. Students will have the freedom to choose the project''s topic within the scope of the course. In all classes, students will be organized into work groups. During the presentation of the project results, each group will be evaluated by both the professor and their peers.
Evaluation method
Final grade = Theoretical component (50%) + Practical component (50%)
Theoretical component :
•It is assessed through two tests, each contributing 50% to the overall grade, or by a final exam.
•Thematic presentations of 5 minutes during the theoretical class are worth a bonus of 1 point to the theoretical component grade for the 10 most participative students. This ranking will take into account the number of presentations given, their quality (evaluated by the professor), and participation in the discussion of classmates'' presentations.
Practical component :
•Written report of the research project (50%)
•Oral presentation of the research project results (40%). Peer assessment will account for 1/4 of this grade.
•Evaluation of individual performance in practical work during class (experimental design of the project, literature research, and data analysis), worth 10% of the practical component. Recorded by the professor during class.
•Practical component grades can be retained for the following year in case of failure in the course.
Mandatory attendance in practical classes:
•Missing up to 1/3 of the practical classes is tolerated, provided the absences are justified with valid reasons.
•Exceeding this number of absences will result in the student''s failure.
Grade improvement through exam:
•In the theoretical component, the improvement exam will cover all the theoretical content of the course.
•If a student improves their theoretical grade in the exam, this grade will be combined with the practical component grade obtained during the semester.
•It is possible to request an improvement in the practical component by submitting a new project report.
Subject matter
1. Introduction. The scope and importance of Ecology. Applied ecology.
2. Physical environment. Solar radiation and climate, temperature, water, elemental nutrients, and soils.
3. Organisms in its environment. Adaptation, tolerance, homeostasis, and feedback systems. Natural selection and ecological adaptation. Decompositon.
4. Population ecology. Properties of populations. Population growth. Life tables. Deterministic and stochastic models. Human population growth. Population fluctuations and cycles. Intraspecific competition. Niche and coexistence of species. Predation. antipredator adaptations. Predator-prey models.
5. Human impacts on populations. population exploitation, forest exploitation, habitat loss and fragmentation. wildlife restoration, pollution, bioinvaders, pest population and control.
6. Evolution and behavioural ecology. Genetic variation and population size. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model. Evolution by natural selection. Extinction and conservation.
Programs
Programs where the course is taught:
