Community Ecology

Catalog description

This course will focus on teaching graduate students the fundamental basis and advanced concepts in community ecology used to study and interpret patterns of biological diversity across divergent systems. Concepts and study cases presented in class will vary across different ecosystems and biomes and will include different organismal types (plants, animals, and microorganisms). Four main goals of this course are: (i) promote understanding of ecological processes responsible for the distribution and maintenance of biodiversity; (ii) provide knowledge to better interpret, critically discuss, and analyze current research articles and theories in community ecology; (iii) instruct students to better communicate their research in line with ecological principles and mechanisms; and (iv) allow students to lead discussions on papers related to broader community ecology concepts.