SL12008: Principles of ecology and evolution
[Page last updated: 26 October 2023]
| Academic Year: | 2023/24 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Life Sciences |
| Credits: | 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 200 |
| Level: | Certificate (FHEQ level 4) |
| Period: |
- Academic Year
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| Assessment Summary: | EXOB 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
- MCQ exam (EXOB 35%)
- Open-book written examination (EXOB 65%)
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this unit, the student should be able to:
- Recall and describe key concepts in ecology and evolution.
- Apply concepts in ecology and evolution to new scenarios.
- Interpret a range of data types, which could include figures, tables and equations that describe aspects of ecology and evolution.
- Assess whether conclusions drawn from ecological or evolutionary data are appropriate.
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| Synopsis: | This unit introduces the key concepts and skills necessary to understand the main topics in ecology and evolution. You willexploretopics from an organismal perspective, increasing in complexity to ultimately consider how whole ecosystems function. You will develop an understanding of concepts that are fundamental for topics such as adaptation to climate change, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and antimicrobial resistance.
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| Content: | - Macroevolution (evidence for past evolution and models of speciation)
- Microevolution (genetic models to explain and detect evolution, including Natural selection, drift and neutral models)
- Evolution with interactions (kin selection, evolution of cooperation, coevolution, etc.)
- The road from genotype to phenotype, including the impact of environment and the maintenance of genetic diversity)
- Basic principles of human evolution
- Evolutionary applications
- Evolution of life-history traits
- Population Ecology (population growth, impact of species interaction on population growth and distribution)
- Community ecology and biodiversity (assembly of communities and models to explain species richness and distribution)
- Basic principles of ecosystem Ecology (including geochemical cycles, productivity and landscape ecology)
- Basic principles of conservation Biology
- Ecological concepts applications in Agriculture and species management
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| Course availability: |
SL12008 is Compulsory on the following courses:
Department of Chemistry
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Chemistry) with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Pharmacology) with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) with Study year abroad (Year 1)
- USSC-AKM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology and Physics) with professional placement (Year 1)
Department of Life Sciences
- USSL-AFB11 : BSc(Hons) Biology (Year 1)
- USSL-AKB11 : BSc(Hons) Biology with professional placement (Year 1)
- USSL-AFM11 : MBiol(Hons) Biology (Year 1)
- USSL-AKM11 : MBiol(Hons) Biology with professional placement (Year 1)
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Notes: - This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
- Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
- Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
- Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.
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