Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and their environment. Studying these interactions provides us with the theoretical foundation for understanding many of the most pressing environmental problems. Ecology is a broad field, encompassing research at the scales of individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems with methods that draw on traditional ecological knowledge, Darwin-esque natural history observations, cutting edge computer modeling, and beyond. In this course, we will survey the concepts and frameworks that underpin ecology research and learn to think quantitatively about populations and communities. Students will explore how ecological interactions produce the patterns and processes observed in biomes around the world, and gain an appreciation for the limitations of modern ecology’s frameworks. Students will leave this class with the skills to explore local ecological communities, generate hypotheses, develop experimental designs, and apply statistical analyses to ecological data.
- Teacher: Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie