From Organism to Ecosystem in APP

The curriculum for this course unit will be organized as follows:

• 3 tutoring sessions, each lasting 3 hours
• 3 3-hour lab sessions
• 1 Scientific Conferences

Objectives*:

The primary purpose of this unit is to define the concepts of population (a group of individuals whose size and genetic composition are monitored and which evolves), “species” (a group of populations that exchange genes), “community” (a group of species playing a similar role in an ecosystem), and “ecosystem” (a biocoenosis within a biotope, in which energy flows and material exchanges are studied). It provides an introductory overview of evolution by natural selection, while acknowledging the role of chance. It connects elements of organismal biology (diet, habitat) with relationships among species within an ecosystem (biotic interactions, food chains, and flows of matter and energy). It enables students to apply the key principles of organism sampling and to develop an initial understanding of biodiversity. It examines all these concepts in the context of their application to conservation biology and the sustainable use of resources, with the aim of familiarizing students in particular with “the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).”

Hourly volumes*:

            CM:

            TD: 9 a.m.

            Practical Work:

            Field: 9 a.m.

100% Continuous Assessment

Project Leaders*: Jean-Frédéric TERRAL and Laurence PASCAL

Administrative contact(s): Marjorie Aimar