General Ecology

Code:

BIOL1004

Acronym:

BIOL1004

Level:

100

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Biology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Biology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Landscape Architecture

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:AP	22	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	48	162
L:CC	1	study plan from 2021/22	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:CTA	49	Plano estudos a partir do ano letivo 2016/17	1	-	6	48	162
L:F	1	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	48	162
L:G	13	study plan from 2017/18	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:M	12	Official Study Plan	2	-	6	48	162
			3
L:Q	4	study plan from 2016/17	3	-	6	48	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Understand the basic concepts in the field of ecology and acquire the capacity to use them to interpret and act on a real world context.

Learning outcomes and competences

Correctly interpret several ecological situations the student may come across.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable.

Program

A - THEORETICAL PROGRAM

 

I – Introduction

Ecology: meaning, terminology and scope. Multidisciplinarity. The development of Ecology. Importance of ecological studies. General organization of the Biosphere: spatial and trophic structure.

 

II – The nature of ecosystem

Components of ecological systems: abiotic and biotic components. Regulating factors: temperature, photoperiod, water, atmospheric gases, biogenic salts. The water cycle. Soil ecology. Organic matter decomposition. Matter recirculation in ecosystems.

 

III – Ecosystem functioning

Flow of energy in different ecosystems. Primary production and environmental controls on primary production. Pattern of world distribution of primary productivity. Secondary production. Food chains and trophic levels. Major food chains. Ecological pyramids. Energy budget. Ecological efficiencies.

 

IV – Biogeochemical cycles

The basic types of biogeochemical cycles. Major biogeochemical cycles: the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the phosphorus cycle.

 

V- Populations.

Density, natality, mortality, migration. Population growth. Life tables. Age structure. Survival curves. Species interactions: neutralism, protocooperation, mutualism, comensalism, coevolution. Competition (intra and inter specific).The Lotka-Volterra model. The Tilman model. Predation. Metapopulations: concepts and aplications.

 

VI - Communities.

Taxocenosis and guild. Properties: species composition, diversity, dominance, equitability, growth. Biodiversity. Species richness. Diversity indexes (Shannon-Weaver and Simpson). Geographic patterns. Ecological niche. Ecological sucession. Primary and secondary sucession. Seral communities and climax communities.

 

VII - Ecosystems.

Stability, constancy, resilience, resistence, persistence. The intermediate disturbance theory. r and K strategies. Life strategies.

 

VIII – Biomes

Main characteristics of major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the world.

 

B - PRACTICAL PROGRAM

 

Visualization of documentaries about several biomes of the world. Discussion and commentary.

Mandatory literature

Molles, M.; Ecology: concepts and applications, McGraw-Hill, 1999
Smith, R. L. & Smith, T.M; Ecology & field biology, Benjamin Cummings, 2001
Lévêque, C.; Ecologia: do ecossistema à biosfera, Instituto Piaget, Colecção Perspectivas Ecológicas, nº 36, 2001
Frontier, S.; Os ecossistemas, Instituto Piaget, Colecção Perspectivas Ecológicas, nº 32, 2001
Krebs, C.J.; Ecology - The experimental analysis of distribution and abundance, Harper International Edition, 1978

Complementary Bibliography

Ramade, F.; Élements d’écologie - Écologie Appliquée, Ediscience International, 1992
Dajoz, R.; Précis d'écologie, Dunod, Paris, 1996
Motta Pinto-Coelho,R.; Fundamentos em ecologia, Artmed Editora, Lda. Porto Alegre, Brasil, 2002

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical classes, using slide show presentations and case study analysis.

 

Practical classes with visioning and discussion of documentaries concerning ecological aspects discussed in the discipline.

 

Case study discussion.

keywords

Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	48,00
Total:	48,00

Eligibility for exams

Frequency of the discipline classes under the law and regulations in force.

 

Obtain minimum rating (9.5 on a scale of 0 to 20, in accordance with regulations in force) in the final exam.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final exam – 100%

Examinations or Special Assignments

Non applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Não aplicável

Classification improvement

Classification improvement is done according to law and regulations in force, in final exam.

Observations

Students that don’t speak Portuguese may be subjected to alternative forms of evaluation.

There will be no oral examinations.
The coordinator of this UC is Professor Sara Antunes

Juri of the UC:
Nuno Formigo
Sara Antunes