NBIK15015U Macroecology and Community Ecology

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Biology
MSc Programme in Nature Management
MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject
MSc Programme in Environmental Science

Content

Species’ distribution and abundance from community to global scale:

  • Basics: Species concepts, Biomes, Biogeography
  • The role of history, evolution, climate, climate change and biotic interactions in shaping diversity patterns
  • Spatial diversity gradients: Area, Latitude, Altitude/depth, Isolation, Habitat diversity, Productivity
  • Temporal diversity gradients: Geological, Geomorphological, Historical, Evolutionary and Ecological time scales
  • Community scale: Niches, Filters, Competition, Mutualism, Disturbance, Succession, Species pools
  • Macro scale: Diversity-stability, Diversity-productivity, Equilibrium theory, Geometrical constraints, Vicariance, Speciation
  • Testing: Experimentation, Simulation, Null models
Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Knowledge on diversity patterns of organisms from local to global scale
  • Understanding of the processes that determine species distributions and abundances
  • Operational understanding of theories on how communities are assembled


Skills:

  • Identify and describe diversity patterns from local to global scale
  • Suggest and investigate possible diversity pattern-shaping mechanisms
  • Evaluate, compare and elaborate theories behind diversity patterns
  • Apply and interpret relevant statistical tools and tests
  • Contribute on a scientific basis to debates concerning management of biodiversity in light of global changes in land-use and climate.


Competences:

  • Ability to evaluate theories about diversity patterns and processes
  • Ability to use and interpret relevant computational tools and test methods
  • Conceptual basis to contribute to management practice and opinion formation
Literature

See Absalon.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Two weekly two hours lectures.
Three to five exercise hours that may be:
Readings of papers with submission of short essay
Operational exercises (mainly calculus)
The course expands the bachelor courses Biodiversity and Conservation biology.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 15
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Practical exercises
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 139
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Written individual feedback on exercise reports. Oral collective feedback during classes.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 4 hours under invigilation
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Exam registration requirements

It is mandatory to hand in article essays and exercise reports. The essays and exercise reports must be approved by the teacher.
 

Aid
All aids allowed

 

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

If the requirement of handing in approved article essays and exercise reports is not fulfilled, it can be fulfilled before the reexamination. The student must hand in required article essays and exercise reports no later than three weeks before the reexamination and the hand ins must be approved by the teacher.

Re-exam is oral. 20 minutes with 20 minutes of preparation. All aids allowed.

Criteria for exam assesment

In order to obtain the grade 12 the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Learning Outcome.