BIOL 392 Ecology
This course will explore the interactions that occur between organisms and their environment. It will introduce the structural hierarchy created by these interactions (e.g., populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes) and the adjustments that occur as a result of them. The environment includes not only the physical but the biological conditions under which an organism lives. The adaptations that evolve to provide organisms the ability to survive in various types of habitats will be discussed from a comparative basis. The course will thus provide an understanding of species diversity and how the environment can support such a wide array of different organisms. It will emphasize the ability of species to adjust to changes in their environment, the response of the environment to these changes, and the consequences of extinction. Ecology is a science and will be studied in the context of scientific inquiry, understanding that the principles of evolution and natural selection are at the foundation.