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Ecology

Home / Oferta Formativa / Coimbra Agricultural School / Bachelor / Bachelor in Tourism in Rural and Natural Areas

Base Knowledge

Non applicable

Teaching Methodologies

Teaching is carried out by active learning techniques, study cases, and hands-on learning. For Units 1 and 2, theoretical knowledge is provided in student-centered-learning. Subjects are further explored by group research and presentation of the information to the colleagues and through practical work in the field and in the laboratory.

Learning Results

1. To understand the conceptual foundations of ecology.

2. To become familiar with the variety of ways that organisms interact with both the physical and the biological environment.

3. To develop an understanding of populations, their structure and dynamics.

4. To know the interactions among populations.

5. To develop an understanding of species abundance and diversity and community dynamics.

Program

Unit 1. Introduction: 1.1 What is ecology? 1.2 Evolution by natural selection.

Unit 2. The match between organisms and their environment: 2.1 Temperature relations. 2.2 Water relations. 2.3 Energy and nutrient relations. 2.4 Social relations.

Unit 3. Populations: 3.1 Distribution and abundance; 3.2 Dinamics; 3.3 Growth; 3.4 Life histories and patterns.

Unit 4. Interactions: 4.1 Competition; 4.2 Exploitation: predation, herbivory, parasitism, and disease; 4.3 Mutualism; 4.4 Comensalism and amensalism.

Unit 5. Communities: 5.1 Species abundance and diversity; 5.2 Structure and dynamics.

Curricular Unit Teachers

Maria Manuela Correia Abelho

Grading Methods

Exam
  • - Written test - 100.0%
Continuous evaluation
  • - Deliverable in each unit (weight of each unit: 2: 30%; 3: 30%; 4: 20%; 5: 20%) - 25.0%
  • - Written test in each unit (weight of each unit: 2: 30%; 3: 30%; 4: 20%; 5: 20%) - 75.0%

Internship(s)

NAO

Bibliography

MACKENZIE, A; BALL, AS & VIRDEE, SR (2001). Instant Notes Ecology. 2nd ed. BIOS Scientific Publishers Limited [Sections A-B, D-O, Q].

MOLLES, MC Jr. & sher, AA (2019). Ecology: Concepts and applications. 8th ed. McGraw-Hill Education [Sections I-V].

RAVEN, PH & JOHNSON, GB (2002). Biology. 6th ed. McGraw Hill Higher Education [Chapters 24-25].

SADAVA, D; HELLER, HC; ORIANS, GH.; PURVES, WK & HILLIS, DM (2008). LIFE: the Science of Biology. 8th ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc. [Chapters 54-55].

STARR, C; EVERS, CA & STARR, L (2007). Biology today and tomorrow. 2nd ed. Thomson Brooks/Cole [Units 1-3 and Chapter 32].

TOBIN, AJ & DUSHECK, J (2005). Asking about life. 3rd ed. Thomson Learning, Inc. [Parts 1-4 and Chapters 1, 29].