Communities and Ecosystems

Catalog description

Community ecology is an interdisciplinary field that integrates numerous theories, concepts, and methods to study the patterns and dynamics of biotic assemblages. Because biotic groups affect the biogeophysical and biogeochemical processes that govern Earth system functioning, community ecology also plays an increasingly large role in the study of ecosystem ecology, a discipline which seeks to understand the processes governing nutrient and energy flow across the Earth system. This course will explore the theories and methods for study of biodiversity, biogeography, and community assembly, as well as the pathways through which communities exert influence on ecosystem functioning. Topics will also include evolutionary influences on communities, the integration of community ecology into conservation and land management, and community ecology in an era of rapid environmental change.