Course Syllabus

A study of ecology is important to understand in today's world. Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; specifically, ecology identifies and explains the holism, or critical connections, between plants and animals and the world around them--and how those relationships affect the planet. Through this understanding, ecology provides information about how to use Earth's resources responsibly in order to leave a healthy environment for future generations.

The scope of ecology is as wide as the diversity of life on the planet. From bacteria in lakes to animals living in the arctic, ecologists study all types of environments, or ecosystems. Understanding all of these continually changing factors is overwhelming and difficult to grasp.

This general ecology course will provide a solid foundation on fundamental ecology topics, which many students require for future studies in various fields. This comprehensive course includes these topics:

• Ecology and Evolution
• Evolutionary Ecology
• Interspecies and Intraspecies Relations
• Biodiversity
• Mass Extinctions
• The World's Species
• Biogeography
• Geographical Information Systems
• Landscape Ecology
• Population Ecology
• Community Ecology
• Physiological Ecology
• Ecosystem Ecology
• Systems Ecology
• Plant Ecology
• Animal Ecology
• Human Ecology
• Natural Resource Management