Comparative Physiological Ecology

Catalog description

This course is primarily concerned with the physiology of organisms as modified by the external environment and the physiological mechanisms underlying ecological observations. Topics include the basic principles of transfer and storage of energy (energy budgets and temperature regulation) and mass (water balance and gas exchange), physiological adaptations, and stress physiology. Emphasis will be placed on studying the whole organism as an integrated system. Case studies from the primary literature will probe the physiological ecology of both plants and animals, and the application of the topics to requirements in instrument design and mathematical models. A research paper in the format of a literature review is expected.