Basic Ecology

Code: PAO12342L

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: Environment and Ecology Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

This curricular unit provides a general understanding of the structure and function of the ecological systems and knowledge on the main environmental problems at global and local scale.

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Água potável e saneamento - Garantir disponibilidade e manejo sustentável da água e saneamento para todos.

Energias renováveis e acessíveis - Garantir acesso à energia barata, confiável, sustentável e renovável para todos.

Ação climática - Tomar medidas urgentes para combater a mudança climática e seus impactos (*).

Proteger a vida marinha - Conservação e uso sustentável dos oceanos, dos mares, e dos recursos marinhos para o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Proteger a vida terrestre - Proteger, recuperar e promover o uso sustentável dos ecossistemas terrestres, gerir de forma sustentável as florestas, combater a desertificação, deter e reverter a degradação da Terra e deter a perda da biodiversidade.

Learning Goals

General understanding of Ecosphere organization and function, linking ecology and evolution in order to
understand the dynamic nature of the adaptation processes.

Acquisition of some professional skills on environment.

Structure and function of ecosystems: circulation of matter and energy; energy to control entropy.
Biogeochemical cycles: global and local, impacts of human activities.
Environmental factors: Leibig's and Shelford's Laws. Factors of production and decomposition.
Implications: distribution of organisms, success of introductions Production and trophic structure: Energy
fluxes between trophic levels and ecological efficiencies. Predominant paths.
Population: characteristics and vital rates. Models of growth. Selection strategies r and K. Predator-prey
interactions, population cycles. Competitive interactions, competitive exclusion. Population regulation.
Community: Structure, stability, environmental quality. Resistance and resilience.
Succession: Primary and Secondary. Natural and Cultural. Climax theories.