ECOLOGY 2
Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher: GIUSEPPE NICOLOSIExpected Learning Outcomes
In accordance with the Dublin Descriptors, by the end of the course students are expected to acquire:
- Knowledge and understanding: understand the fundamental principles of ecology and the main processes regulating populations, communities, and ecosystems.
- Applying knowledge and understanding: apply ecological concepts to the interpretation of natural phenomena and to the analysis of relationships between organisms and their environment.
- Making judgements: critically analyse ecological data and information and make independent assessments of the interactions between human activities and natural systems, also through the discussion of topics and examples presented during lectures.
- Communication skills: describe and discuss the main ecological concepts using appropriate scientific terminology; these skills will be developed through active participation in lectures and assessed during the oral examination.
- Learning skills: independently explore the topics covered through individual study of textbooks and teaching materials, and integrate the knowledge acquired with concepts from related biological and environmental disciplines.
Course Structure
The course is delivered through interactive lectures, supported by PowerPoint presentations and other multimedia tools. Active participation and discussion of the topics presented help students develop an understanding of ecological processes, the ability to make connections among different topics, and the use of appropriate scientific terminology.
If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above in order to ensure consistency with the programme set out in this syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Detailed Course Content
Textbook Information
- M. Begon, J. L. Harper & C. R. Townsend - Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems. Blackwell/Wiley.
- Smith Thomas M. , Smith Robert L. - Elements of Ecology. Pearson Education
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecological niche: concepts and definitions - Gause’s principle | 1, 2 |
| 2 | Relationships between organisms and their environment - Environmental resistance - Continental drift, biogeographical regions and distribution of organisms. | 1, 2 |
| 3 | Ecosystem and its properties; emergent properties. Biotope, Biocoenosis. Habitat | 1, 2 |
| 4 | Soil, water - Physical and chemical variables - Evolution during the Quaternary | 1, 2 |
| 5 | Biogeochemical cycles. Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus - Stoichiometric ecology - Liebig’s law | 1, 2 |
| 6 | Territoriality. Limiting factors - Ecological valence | 1, 2 |
| 7 | Autecology - Functional traits - Primary production | 1, 2 |
| 8 | Concept of population - Population properties and dynamics - Methods for demographic estimation - Logistic equation - Evolutionary strategies. Population regulation - Exponential growth | 1, 2 |
| 9 | Synecology - Allometric relationships - Ecological pyramid, food webs and energy flow - History of food-web visualization - Interactions among organisms - Ecological networks | 1, 2 |
| 10 | Ecological succession. Primary and secondary succession - Concept of climax | 1, 2 |
| 11 | Biodiversity and stability | 1, 2 |
| 12 | Agroecosystems - Ecological footprint | 1, 2 |
| 13 | Biomes: general characteristics and distribution. Characteristics of the main terrestrial biomes | 1 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Learning will be assessed through an oral examination aimed at evaluating the student’s knowledge and critical understanding of the topics covered in the course syllabus. The assessment will take into account the relevance and completeness of the answers, the ability to make connections among the different course topics, analytical and reasoning skills, as well as the appropriate use of scientific terminology and clarity of expression.
Learning assessment may also be carried out online, should circumstances require it.
To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, interested students may request a personal meeting in order to arrange any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs. Students may also contact the CInAP referring teacher within their Department.
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
- Emergent properties in ecological systems
- Concept of biotope and biocenosis
- Habitat and ecological niche
- Competitive exclusion principle (Gause's principle)
- Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles
- Definition and parameters of a population
- Exponential and logistic population growth
- r/K reproductive strategies
- Ecological successions and the climax concept
- Main terrestrial biomes