Ecology is the experimental study of the distribution and abundance of organisms.
Their distribution and abundance is determined by interactions among individuals and with their physico-chemical environment. Extensive sampling during the early, descriptive part of the course will reveal patterns in the distributions of biota, physical and chemical parameters. During this period we will learn to identify and recognize characteristic algae, macrobenthos and zooplankton from aquatic habitats in the northern boreal forest biome. Our field sampling will allow us to analyze ways in which species interactions and the physico-chemical environment determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. What is the vertical distribution of physical parameters like temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, etc.