Course Details in

Module Title	LI Ecological Systems
School	School of Geog Earth & Env Sci
Department	Geography
Module Code	03 18182
Module Lead	Dr Mark Ledger
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	Optional for: BA Geography, BSc Geography, BSc Environmental Science, BSc Environmental Management, BSc Environmental Science with a Professional Placement Abroad, BSc Environmental Geosciences, BA/BSc Joint and Combined Honours with Geography
Contact Hours	Lecture-40 hours Guided independent study-160 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	The module provides a thorough grounding in basic ecology at the species, population and community levels. We will explore how factors including dispersal, habitat and species interactions affect the distribution of species in marine, freshwater and terrestrial communities, study the demographics and regulation of populations, and investigate regulation of communities by competition, predation and physical disturbance. Major ecological concepts including succession and food web dynamics will be described.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module the student should be able to: Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts of ecology with reference to species distribution, populations, communities and ecosystems; Integrate and evaluate information acquired through lectures and directed reading to produce a written critique of a specific ecological concept or issue;
Assessment	18182-03 : Class Tests (3) Average : Class Test (50%) 18182-11 : Exam : Exam (Centrally Timetabled) - Written Unseen (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: Multiple choice class tests (50%); 1.5 hr Unseen Examination (50%) Reassessment: 1.5 hr Unseen Examination (100%)
Other
Reading List	Moss, B. 1998. Ecology of Fresh Waters, Man and Medium. Blackwell. Begon M, Harper J L & Townsend C R. 1996. Ecology: individuals, populations and communities. 3rd ed. Blackwell Science. Giller, P S & Malmqvist, B. 1998. The Biology of Streams and Rivers. Oxford University Press. Allan, J D. 1995. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Chapman & Hall. Mason, C E. 1996. Biology of Freshwater Pollution. 3rd ed. Longman. Krebs, C J. 2001. Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. 5th ed. Benjamin Cummings.