BIOB 170 - Principles of Biological Diversity

4 credits (3 Lec, 1 Lab)

This class will provide a comprehensive introduction to ecology and biodiversity. This class will begin with basic concepts in evolution integrated with an introduction to biodiversity and ecology. The class then transitions to aspects of Biodiversity; stressing the importance of single-celled microorganisms and moves through the biota from algae to fungi, plants to animals while maintaining a firm grasp on the importance of interaction between and among organisms. The biodiversity section draws on aspects of ecology to discuss complex interactions such as plant success and coastal ecology. The course concludes by broadening these aspects into ecological principles: the network associations between organisms in the natural world. While focusing on ecology, the course emphasizes the importance of the abundance and distribution of organisms in a given environment with respect to biotic and abiotic factors as well as general approaches to classification, assessment, and modeling of the respective populations.

This class includes a full-semester lab and includes a trip to Yellowstone National Park.