Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Biological and Environmental Sciences
Learning Methods
Lecture
Off Site
Workshop
Module Offerings
5207NATSCI-JAN-CTY
Aims
a) To provide an advanced course in general ecology and wildlife population
management.
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b) Illustrate the inter-linkages between flora and fauna populations and
biogeochemical cycles on different spatial and temporal scales.
c) Relate key wildlife population, ecology and ecosystem theories to the applied
management of populations, habitats and ecosystems.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Describe complex interrelationships occurring within biological populations and ecological systems and explain how these might vary spatially and temporally.
2.
Explain how biotic and abiotic interactions may influence ecosystem functioning.
3.
Critically evaluate the value of understanding population, community, and
ecosystem dynamics in the management of wildlife and ecosystems.
4.
Adopt a practical analytical approach to the study of habitats managed and
restored for nature conservation or ecosystem functioning.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:Summary of relevant ecological, ecosystem, and wildlife population theories.
Large scale patterns: biogeography, historical and evolutionary contexts for plant
and animal distributions, macroecology, classical island biogeography, colonization
and extinction. Island endemism and its conservation management implications.
Smaller scale patterns: sources versus sink populations, metapopulations and their
structure and dynamics. Conservation implications of metapopulations.
Applications of population ecology to wildlife management. For example, game
management and/or fisheries management.
Species abundance, diversity, analysis of diversity. Niche concept, competition,
displacement or co-existence and maintenance of diversity. Trophic interactions.
Conservation and management implications of these factors.
Role of species in ecosystem structure and function, maintenance and restoration of
ecosystem function.
Vegetation change, community assembly and succession. the historical perspective
and timescales. primary and secondary community assembly, climax versus nonclimax
communities. Community change during succession, implications for revegetation
and implications for management.
Energy flow and cycling, biomass production, nutrient circulation, decomposition,
biogeochemical cycles.
Global scale biotic and abiotic interactions, biogeochemical cycles and Gaia theory.
Module Overview:
This module is an advanced course in general ecology and wildlife population management and seeks to draw linkages between populations and biogeochemical cycles. This is placed within the context of applied wildlife and ecosystem management by using a mix of case studies, workshops, and fieldtrips to a site managed and restored for wildlife or wider ecosystem functioning.
This module is an advanced course in general ecology and wildlife population management and seeks to draw linkages between populations and biogeochemical cycles. This is placed within the context of applied wildlife and ecosystem management by using a mix of case studies, workshops, and fieldtrips to a site managed and restored for wildlife or wider ecosystem functioning.
Additional Information:This module is an advanced course in general ecology and wildlife population
management and seeks to draw linkages between populations and biogeochemical
cycles. This is placed within the context of applied wildlife and ecosystem
management by using a mix of case studies, workshops, and fieldtrips to a site
managed and restored for wildlife or wider ecosystem functioning.