The course treats the relationship between organisms and their environment. We will begin with a consideration of the evolutionary adaption of organisms to their environment, then proceed by discussing different levels of interaction and adaption.
Physiological ecology involves adaptation to a varying physical environment.
Behavioral ecology treats animal behavior in an evolutionary context, seeking to understand the selective forces underlying feeding behavior, mating systems, social systems and the like. At the population level, we will study the characteristics of populations, their life history strategies, and the environmental processes governing changes in population numbers. Next we consider types of interactions between populations, including predation, parasitism, mutualism and competition. Finally, we will consider communities, their characteristics and the forces responsible for community change and structure. Through the course we will relate the topics covered to applied issues, such as genetics of endangered species, population models and wildlife management, and design of nature reserves.