course-details-portlet

BI2034

Community Ecology and Ecosystems

Choose study year
Credits 7.5
Level Intermediate course, level II
Course start Autumn 2024
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Assignment and written examination

About

About the course

Course content

The course introduces community ecological theory and analysis methods and ecosystem processes and services. Central themes are patterns in species richness and biodiversity, methods to describe patterns on community level, ecosystem functions, predation and other interspecific interactions, disturbance effects, succession, and food webs. The links between community and ecosystem processes and services will be described with theory and examples. The course gives a background for conservation biology with examples on management in different landscapes and ecosystems. The students work in groups and during a field course they gather data, during exercises they process their data with different mathematical methods and discuss central themes in community ecology.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

After completing the course the students should:

  • Have knowledge about different drivers for community composition.
  • Know the basic theories about mechanisms important to species distribution and abundance
  • Have a general understanding of the links between community composition and ecosystem functions.
  • Be able to understand and interpret methods used to describe patterns in occurrence and distribution of species in natural communities.

Skills

The student can:

  • Apply different diversity indices
  • Understand patterns based on uni- and multivariate analyses
  • Explain central theories and discuss important ecological mechanisms that influence ecosystems and community ecological patterns in nature.

General competence

The student can:

  • To some extent plan, carry out, analyse and report a scientific project

Learning methods and activities

Learning methods and activities

  • Lectures: 30 hours
  • Seminars and exercises: 40 hours
  • Written and oral presentation of group project and active seminar participation
  • 4-days field course during the first week of the semester

Mandatory activities.

  • Approved presentation of project work
  • Seminar and exercise participation
  • Approved field course participation

Compulsory assignments

  • Approved fieldcourse
  • APPROVED
  • APPROVED

Further on evaluation

The course consists of two evaluation parts: a written exam (60%) and project work (40%). Both parts are given individual grades and if both are assessed as passed the grades will be calculated to one final grade.

In case of fail:

  • Exam: the written exam can be retaken in both semesters, even the one without teaching.
  • Project work: an improved version of the project work can be resubmitted

In case of improving grade:

  • Exam: the written exam can be retaken in both semesters, even the one without teaching.
  • Project work: must follow the course again and submit a new project work.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
MNKBI234 7.5 sp
MNKBI230 6 sp
BI6003 2.5 sp Autumn 2024
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Other pages about the course

Subject areas

  • Biodiversity
  • Biology
  • Botany
  • Zoology
  • Ecology

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Biology