PROFESSOR: Dr. Robert C. Brooke (brooke@sfu.ca)                          OFFICE: B8236 (Phone: 291-3539)

Prerequisites: BISC 101 and 102

Course Description:

An introduction to biotic-environmental relationships and dynamics; ecological concepts; variation, adaptation and evolution; population dynamics; organization, integrating processes and dynamics of communities and ecosystems.

Organization: A lecture and tutorial course.

Textbook:

None required. Library reserve books and/or recommended books will be announced at the beginning of the course.

Grading:

Exam I 27% of final grade
Exam II 28%
Exam III 30%
Tutorials 15%

Lecture topics:

• Overview of ecology; approaches to study
• Distribution and abundance of organisms
• Variability, natural selection and speciation
• Factors and processes limiting distributions
  - energy exchange processes
  - water and nutrients: soil characteristics
  
• Populations and interactions
  - population parameters and estimation
  - population growth and regulation
  
• Living together
  - intraspecific and interspecific interations
  - competition/interference
  - predation and herbivory
  
• Communities and ecosystems
  - structure and organization
  - integrating processes and dynamics
  
• Applied ecology
  - biological diversity
  - conservation and resource management