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Fundamentals of Ecology
ENVR E-140/W Fundamentals of Ecology (12779)
Fall term
Mark Leighton, PhD, Associate in Anthropology, Harvard University.
Class times: Thursdays beginning Sept. 3, 7:35-9:35 pm.
Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,850.
Online option available. Lecture 1 video.
Writing-intensive course.
This course introduces basic concepts in the ecology of individual organisms, their populations, and the biological communities in which they live. Emphasis is on terrestrial plant and animal ecology. The historical, evolutionary, and ecological processes determining the distribution of ecosystems, habitats, and species are introduced. Evolutionary processes responsible for the adaptations of individuals are examined to understand the diversity of species and their features. Theories of competition, predation, disease, and mutualism help explain the functioning of biological communities. These fundamentals establish a basis for examining the challenges imposed by humans on the functioning of natural ecosystems. The sustainable harvesting and use of natural resources, the implications of human population growth and size, and the transformation of natural communities through human activities and policies are examined in this ecological context. The course features a weekend field trip and other activities. (4 credits)