BIOL 203
Ecology Fall 2023
Division III Quantative/Formal Reasoning
Cross-listed ENVI 203 / BIOL 203

Class Details

This course combines lectures & discussion with field and indoor laboratory activities to explore factors that determine the distribution and abundance of plants and animals in natural systems. The course begins with an overview of global environmental patterns and then builds from the population to ecosystem level. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the connection between basic ecological principles and current environmental issues. Selected topics include population dynamics (competition, predation, mutualism); community interactions (succession, food chains and diversity) and ecosystem function (biogeochemical cycles, energy flow). Laboratory activities are designed to engage students in the natural history of the region and build skills in data analysis and scientific writing.
The Class: Format: lecture/laboratory
Limit: 30
Expected: 30
Class#: 1031
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: pre-class quizzes, lab reports, two mid-term exams, and a final exam
Prerequisites: BIOL 102, or ENVI 102, or permission of instructor
Enrollment Preferences: students planning to pursue Biology and/or ENVI
Unit Notes: satisfies the distribution requirement for the Biology major
Distributions: Division III Quantative/Formal Reasoning
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
ENVI 203 Division III BIOL 203 Division III
QFR Notes: Much of the material in this course centers on the interpretation and application of mathematical models used to describe ecological systems. The laboratory section of this course also contains a large data analysis component (based in R). Students are introduced to t-tests, chi-square analysis, and regression.
Attributes: ENVI Natural World Electives
EVST Environmental Science

Class Grid

Updated 5:23 pm

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