Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE BIO2040

 
TITLE Ecology and Ethology 1

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 8

 
DEPARTMENT Biology

 
DESCRIPTION Part 1: Ecology

An introduction to the principles, concepts and controversies involved in the study of plant and animal populations and their interactions with the biotic and abiotic environments. Special reference will be made to the ecology of the Mediterranean area and that of the Maltese Islands.

1. Introduction
- The nature of ecology;
- Ecology as the driving force behind evolution by natural selection.

2. Environmental factors
- Limiting factors, limits of tolerance;
- Ecological valency; factor interaction; ecotypes.

3. Population ecology
- Populations and characteristics of populations: population density and its estimation; dispersion patterns; natality and mortality; survivorship curves; age distribution; sex ratio; rate of natural increase: exponential and logistic growth; the logistic hypothesis and other population models; population dynamics;
- Population fluctuations and regulation of population size: density-dependent and density-independent factors; May’s model;
- Population cycles: extrinsic and intrinsic control;
- Life-history strategies: opportunist and equilibrium species;
- Intraspecific interactions and their population consequences: types of intraspecific interactions; intraspecific competition.

4. Interspecific interactions
- Types of interspecific interactions and their effect on population size;
- Interspecific competition: competitive exclusion; ecological niche and resource partitioning; ecological isolating mechanisms and niche separation; guilds; competition as niche overlap;
- Predation: types and characteristics of predators; predator-prey interactions; predator responses to prey; prey defence against predators;
- Parasitism: types and characteristics of parasites; parasite-host interactions;
- Amensalism and allelopathy;
- Commensalism, protocooperation and mutualism;
- Co-evolution.

5. Biotic communities
- The community concept in ecology;
- Biomes;
- Community characteristics: species richness and relative abundance; diversity and its measurement; the different kinds of diversity; patterns of species diversity and their cause;
- Ecological dominance; keystone species; physical structure; periodicity; stability;
- The nature of communities;
- Community change: cyclic and successional change; characteristics and mechanisms of succession.

6. Ecosystems ecology
- Concept of ecosystem; ecosystem components;
- Solar radiation as the driving force of ecosystems; ecosystems not based on solar radiation;
- Production and productivity: primary production in the biosphere; secondary production; energy budgets;
- Food chains, food webs, and trophic structure;
- Energy flow in ecosystems and efficiency of energy transfer;
- Ecological pyramids;
- Biogeochemical cycles.

Part 2: Ethology

A study of the biology of animal behaviour in an evolutionary context. Behavioural adaptations are discussed with particular reference to their ecological significance.

1. Introduction
- What is behaviour? Approaches to the study of animal behaviour;
- Historical outline of the study of animal behaviour;
- Ethology.

2. Behavioural ecology: the animal in the abiotic environment
- Orientation: kineses and taxes;
- Migration, navigation and homing: piloting, orienting, goal-directed orientation; mechanisms.

3. Behavioural ecology: the animal in the biotic environment

3.1 Behaviour as an adaptive response; evolutionary stable strategies

3.2 Territorial behaviour, agonistic behaviour and mating strategies:
- Function and characteristics of territorial behaviour;
- Satellite males, sneaky mating and other mating strategies;
- Function and characteristics of agonistic behaviour;
- Evolutionary aspects of aggressive behaviour and application of games theory to agonistic behaviour.

4. Social behaviour
- Aggregations and societies: consequences of group life;
- Social interactions;
- Evolutionary aspects of social interactions: altruism and kin selection; types of altruistic behaviour; communication; kin recognition; reciprocal altruism.

Part 3: Applied ecology and ethology

Throughout Parts 1 and 2 of this study-unit, applications of ecology and ethology to real world problems will be discussed with the aim of demonstrating to participants that a sound knowledge of the ecology and behaviour of organisms is necessary for sustainable exploitation and management of populations, communities and ecosystems. Topics discussed will include pest and disease control, exploitation of populations (e.g. fisheries, forestry and agriculture), control of invasive species, and management of threatened species and habitats.

Important note:

This study-unit is partly based on practical experience. Therefore, the fieldwork, which is part of the study-unit, is considered as essential for the understanding of the basic principles discussed during the formal lectures. As such, attendance for fieldwork and a satisfactory report on the fieldwork component, is obligatory. Students are to note that for assessment purpose, the practical component of this study-unit is compulsory and non-compensatable. This means that no grade will be awarded for this study-unit, unless they attend all practical sessions and unless their average mark for the practical reports is a minimum of 45%.

Students are to note that they will be allowed to sit for the examination component of the study-unit assessment and be awarded a grade only if they have regularly attended lectures and practicals, including fieldwork, and have submitted all assignments and satisfied all study-unit requirements.

Study-unit Aims:

To introduce participants to:

- The principles, concepts and controversies involved in the study of plant and animal populations and their interactions with the biotic and abiotic environments;
- The study of the biology of animal behaviour in an evolutionary context with emphasis on the ecological significance of behavioural adaptations;
- The applications of ecology and ethology in the sustainable exploitation and management of populations, communities and ecosystems.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Understand the fundamental principles governing the interactions of organisms and their environment at the organism, population, community, and ecosystem levels;
- Acquire a basic understanding of the causes of, and driving forces behind, selected kinds of animal behaviour and the implications for the survival and reproductive strategies of the animals;
- Appreciate the relationship between ecology, behaviour and evolution;
- Gain an insight in the roles of field and laboratory observations, sampling, field and laboratory experimentation, theoretical modelling and computer simulations in the study of ecology and ethology;
- Develop knowledge and awareness of the ecological principles underlying key environmental issues;
- Understand the necessity of a sound knowledge of the ecology and behaviour of organisms for the sustainable exploitation and management of populations, communities and ecosystems;
- Develop practical skills in ecology through an ecological investigation on the habitat distribution of a locally common animal group, based on fieldwork;
- Develop practical skills in the study of invertebrate behaviour through laboratory observations and experiments.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Integrate theory with applied problems in ecology and animal behaviour;
- Apply knowledge of how ecosystems are organized and how they function to understand how they can be affected by natural and anthropogenic changes;
- Carry out basic field sampling to collect data on population density and habitat use;
- Use laboratory-based observational and experimental protocols to investigate behavioural ecology;
- Apply statistical methods to the analysis of ecological and behavioural data;
- Evaluate and synthesize information from a wide array of sources to arrive at scientifically valid conclusions on which to base actions relevant to natural resources management;
- Communicate scientific information in the form of scientific reports.

Main Text/s:

Reading List for Part 1 (Ecology) :

Basic Study-unit Texts:
(Any one of the following)

- BREWER, R (1994) The science of ecology [2nd ed] Brooks/Cole
- RICKLEFS, RE (2009) The economy of nature. [6th ed] W.H. Freeman
[There is also a Data Analysis Update to the fifth edition (2007) that includes data analysis modules that introduce students to ecological data and the quantitative methods used by ecologists].

Additional Texts and Supplementary Reading:

- BEGON, M, TOWNSEND, CR & HARPER, JL (2006) Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. [4th ed] Blackwell (with accompanying CD-ROM)
[This is an advanced text that will be useful to those who intend to continue their studies in ecology. Other students may find the following simplified version more accessible TOWNSEND, CR, BEGON, M & HARPER, JL (2008) Essentials of ecology. [3rd ed] Blackwell Science.]
- COLINVAUX, P (1993) Ecology 2. [2nd ed] J. Wiley [Very good text but unfortunately out of print]
- COTGREAVE, P. & FORSETH, I (2002) Introductory ecology. Blackwell Science. [Excellent introductory text that touches on all aspects of ecology]
- KREBS, CJ (2001) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. [5th ed] Harper Benjamin Cummings [Essential reference; somewhat mathematical; there is a CD-ROM to accompany this text]
- PIANKA, ER (1999) Evolutionary ecology. [6th ed] Benjamin-Cummings [An excellent text, useful also for units in animal behaviour and evolutionary biology. There is now an updated 7th edition (2011) available as an eBook.]
- SCHEMBRI, PJ & BALDACCHINO, AE (1998) Ilma, blat u hajja: is-sisien tal-ambjent naturali Malti. [It-tielet edizzjoni riveduta] Malta University Publishing Ltd. [In Maltese: provides the local dimension]

Field and Laboratory methods:

Recommended text::

- BROWER, J; ZAR, J & VON ENDE, C (1998) Field and laboratory methods for general ecology. [4th ed] Wm C Brown.

Additional texts::

- WAITE, S. (2000) Statistical ecology in practice. Prentice Hall [Recommended for those intending to do an ecology-based research project]
- ROSE, MR & MUELLER, LD (2006) Evolution and ecology of the organism. Pearson Prentice Hall
[This text integrates evolution with ecology and is a very useful background text not only for the ‘ecology’ component of this unit, but also for ‘animal behaviour’ component as well as for the unit on ‘evolution’.]

Reading List for Part 2 (Ethology) :

Basic Study-unit Texts:
(Any one of the following)

- McFARLAND D (1999) Animal behaviour: psychobiology, ethology and evolution [3rd ed] Longman
- DRICKAMER LC, VESSEY SH & JAKOB EM (2002) Animal behaviour: mechanisms, ecology, evolution [5th ed] McGraw Hill
- BARNARD C (2004) Animal behaviour: mechanism, development, function, evolution. Prentice Hall.

Supplementary readings:

- SHERMAN, PW & ALCOCK, J (2005) Exploring animal behaviour. [Readings from Scientific American] [4th ed] Sinauer
- MANNING, A & DAWKINS, MS (1998) An introduction to animal behaviour. [5th ed] Cambridge University Press.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-requisite Study-units: B.Sc. (Hons.) 1st Year Study-Units or equivalent

Please note that a pass in the Practical component is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Practical and Fieldwork

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Practical [See Add. Notes] SEM1 No 25%
Examination (3 Hours) SEM1 Yes 75%

 
LECTURER/S Patrick J. Schembri (Co-ord.)

 

 
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