BLGY2360

This course fulfills MN Transfer Curriculum Goal Area 3 - Natural Sciences and 10 - People and Environment. This course will examine the fundamental principles of ecological relationships between organisms and their environment. Students will investigate ecological interactions at the organismal, population, community, ecosystem, and global scales. Students will also read, interpret, and discuss primary scientific literature as well as develop scientific writing skills. Laboratory investigation will enhance skills necessary for upper-level biology courses and/or careers in the biological sciences.
Student Learning Outcomes

• Understand and apply knowledge of the relationships between organisms and their environment at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels
• Understand, evaluate, and analyze ecological processes and interactions using critical thinking skills
• Select appropriate sampling methods/regimes and apply appropriate statistical analyses to ecological data
• Apply the scientific method in order to conduct, analyze, and interpret ecological experiments
• Organize, draft, edit, and revise formal scientific writing
• Read, interpret, cite, and assess the validity of information and ideas from primary scientific literature
• Understand and utilize ecological modeling, monitoring, and restoration practices to define and improve the interaction between humans and the environment
• Evaluate and analyze how ecological interactions impact societal decisions and environmental issues