BIO 520 - Ecology and Population Biology

A detailed examination of ecology and population biology. Major areas to be covered include ecosystems, community structure, energy flow, population genetics, conservation genetics and restoration ecology. Students seeking professional teacher certification (Biology 7-12) will be prepared to teach the Living Environment Curriculum as required by New York State Education Department. The course will examine the foundational concepts of ecology (e.g. competition) through classical and current examples in primary literature. Examples using molecular and genetic approaches will be emphasized along with studies that illustrate the impact of environmental degradation on human populaitons. Students will be required to articulate their knowledge of ecology and prepare lectures, projects and assignments that are in accordance with the educational standards set forth by the National Science Education Standards (NSES), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and New York State.
Lecture
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: BIO 510