Course Overview

Overview 課程概論 The environment influences organisms profoundly. It affects their present-day ecology (determining where they live and how many can survive there) and, through natural selection acting over past generations, influences their form and adaptations. Present day human-induced changes to the environment are also responsible for endangering species and even driving them to extinction. This course introduces the basic principles and the applications of ecology at different levels of ecosystems (i.e. individual-, population-, community-, ecosystem-, regional and global scales). The ecological theories will be illustrated with examples in order to enable better understanding of the links between the environment and organisms as well as the biological interactions and human-induced threats at each level of ecological organisation. The present course will be concluded with the introduction of biodiversity management, i.e. conservation, restoration and sustaining biodiversity, global ecological crisis, and the economical and socio-political dimensions of nature and environmental management.

Learning Achievement

(1) Introduce the basic principles of ecology and its applications at different levels of ecosystems (i.e. individual-, population-, community-, ecosystem-, regional and global scales) (2) Explain how the environment affects organisms in terms of their present-day ecology (determining where they live and how many can survive there) and, through natural selection acting over past generations, influences their form and adaptations (3) Describe patterns of biological interactions and adaptations (4) Describe the causes and consequences of human-induced threats at different levels of ecological organisation (5) Illustrated ecological applications to different levels of ecosystems with published examples (6) Explain the value of biodiversity to human and biodiversity management, i.e. conservation, restoration and sustaining biodiversity (7) Introduce regional and global ecological crisis and ecological management (8) Introduce the economical and socio-political dimensions of nature and environmental management

Competence

Course prerequisites

Grading policy: Assignments and continuous assessment (10%) Project presentation (30%) Class tests (20%) Final examination (40%)

Grading Philosophy

Course schedule

Course type

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Rita S. W. Yam

Other information

(College of Bioresources and Agriculture) Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering,
Non-degree Program: Ecological Engineering

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