Eastern Nazarene College
Biology
Department
BI-104: Introduction to Ecology and Diversity
Course Syllabus |
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General Course Information:
Course Number:
BI-104
Credits: 3
Class Time:
Section 1 - 8:00-9:15, Tuesday & Thursday
Section 2 - 9:30 - 10:45 Tuesday & Thursday
Class Location: Room S-34,
Shrader Hall
Professor: Jonathan E. Twining,
M.S., M.Ed., Assistant Professor of Biology
Course
Description:
Introduction to Ecology and
Diversity, along with Plants and Animals and Introduction to Cell
Biology and Genetics, is a required course for all biology majors, as
well as environmental science majors. The first section of the
course introduces the student to the basic concepts of ecology,
including population and community ecology, ecosystems, and
conservation of biodiversity. Students will then explore the
theory of evolution by natural selection to understand the processes
that result in morphological and behavioral adaptations as well as the
development of new species.
Educational Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Name several types of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and
provide the characteristics of each.
- Define population and describe the biotic and abiotic factors
that influence population growth
- Give examples of each of the major types of community
interactions that occur between species.
- Illustrate the process of succession that occurs once an
ecosystem is disturbed.
- Create diagrams that describe in detail the flow of energy within
an ecosystem.
- Provide at least three forms of evidence that supports the theory
of evolution by natural selection.
- Describe the mechanisms which lead to speciation.
- Outline the various stages in Earth's geological history.
- Describe the major characteristics of Bacteria, Archaea,
Protista, Fungi, Plants, and Animals.
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