Module description
The module will be structures to establish the foundations for understanding the principles and concepts of biogeography and ecology. Initial lectures will focus on the natural drivers, mechanisms and processes that have led to the geographical distribution of life on earth, including the effects of plate tectonics, evolution and adaptation in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The lecture series will then evaluate the current threats to biodiversity, specifically from anthropogenic pressures and will conclude with some basic principles of biodiversity management and conservation. The final lecture will conclude by exploring the societal response to biodiversity decline and extinctions through global institutions and conventions. The lectures will be complemented by two fieldtrips – to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo with both excursions providing a ‘real-world’ exposure to biodiversity adaptation and evolution, and species conservation in action respectively.
Lecture schedule:
- Introduction: What is biogeography and ecology?
- Ecological processes
- Dispersal and migration of species
- Vegetation Patterns and Climate - Biological diversity from local to global scales
- Biogeochemical cycles; The carbon cycle
- Ecosystem goods and services
- Ecosystem dynamics and function
- Measuring, monitoring and mapping biodiversity
- Species area relationships and Island biogeography
- Ecological succession
- The nature of communities
- Biodiversity crisis and conservation
Assessment details
100% Written examination
Educational aims & objectives
The module aims to introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of biogeography and ecology, defining what biodiversity is, how it varies in different ecosystems and at different spatial scales, and how it is perceived, measured and governed. The module examines key biogeographical and ecological topics from both physical and human perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for the understanding and management of environmental problems that involve biological diversity and ecological communities. The module will therefore provide students not just with an essential grounding in the fundamentals of biogeography and ecology, but also an appreciation of how this is mediated by society. These skills are valuable for both physical and human geographers and are a central facet of environmental geography. Most specifically, the module will focus on biodiversity, ecological systems and ecosystem services with a focus on current threats, management and conservation.
Learning outcomes
At the completion of the module students should have a foundational knowledge of what biodiversity is, how it is classified and how it varies across the terrestrial surfaces of the Earth at different scales. The module also aims to help students to understand ecological principles that govern species and their interactions with one another in a community. Students should also be able to critically evaluate how biodiversity is measured, valued and governed. They should be able to appreciate how much of biodiversity and biogeography is influenced by societal activities, values and interpretations, which affect not just the patterns and processes found within the Earth’s ecosystems, but also past, present and future management of biological diversity and associated resources.
Teaching pattern
14hrs lectures, 6hrs fieldtrips