Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation

Course goals

• Describe the basic principles and concepts in ecology at its different levels of aggregation (organism, population, community and ecosystem);
• Observe and describe ecological interactions, processes and patterns;
• Know how to collect ecological data in the field
• Exemplify how drivers of, and solutions for, many sustainability challenges (e.g., biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, pest management) are based on ecological principles and concepts;
• Critically assess the ecological basis of real-life sustainability challenges and apply ecological principles and concepts to find a solution for the challenge.

Content

This course consists of 2 parts. Part I introduces the essential ecological principles and concepts at its different aggregation levels, from individual organism to ecosystem. Part II highlights how these concepts and principles underlie global sustainability challenges and how an understanding of ecology can contribute to solving these challenges. We will cover a broad diversity of challenges, ranging from the sixth extinction to ecological restoration and management of overabundant populations. The course will draw on examples from both the global North and the global South and as such contribute to the international character of the curriculum and the emphasis on global sustainability challenges.