James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2002

BZ1002:03

Introductory Ecology

Cairns

HECS Band 2

26 hours lectures, 48 hours practicals. Semester 2.

Staff: Dr B Congdon.

An introduction to the ways in which animals and plants interact with one another and with their environment, at the level of populations, communities and ecosystems.

Learning Objectives:

  1. to learn the principles of ecology;
  2. to gain an understanding of Australian ecosystems, with emphasis on the tropics;
  3. to learn laboratory and field techniques in ecology, how to apply these techniques to answering ecological questions and how to produce scientific reports;
  4. to learn about the application of ecological principles to solving environmental problems, e.g. human population growth, pollution, loss of biodiversity.

Assessment by examination (60%); practical reports (20%); practical book (10%); tutorial performance (10%).