Often referred to as the “blue planet”, the earth has an abundance of water, covering approximately 2/3rds of its surface. However, 97% of this water is saline and is therefore toxic to most terrestrial biomes. And of the remaining 3%, most is locked away as icecaps or groundwater, leaving only a tiny fraction in the form of surface water such as rivers, marshes, lakes, and streams. It is these critically important freshwater ecosystems that this course will explore.
Traditionally, most books or courses about freshwater systems are divided into one of two types; limnology courses which primarily focus on the abiotic factors such as water chemistry and lake physiology; and freshwater ecology courses which focus primarily on the biotic interactions. This course will straddle a middle ground between the two, emphasizing freshwater systems as integrated ecological units. During the first half of the course, we will look at the abiotic aspects of freshwater systems such as the different types of systems, their origins and features, and their chemical and physical properties. In the second half of the course, we will focus on the different organisms found in these freshwater systems and how they interact together to form a biological community, with particular focus in how the properties discussed in unit 1 impact these communities.
This course will rely upon the student having a solid understanding of both basic ecological principles, and animal diversity, therefore students should have both Bio205 Diversity of Life 1 and Bio207 Intro to Ecology as prerequisites. If you do not have these courses, you should withdraw immediately as you will be totally lost once we get to the zoology section of the course.
Traditionally, most books or courses about freshwater systems are divided into one of two types; limnology courses which primarily focus on the abiotic factors such as water chemistry and lake physiology; and freshwater ecology courses which focus primarily on the biotic interactions. This course will straddle a middle ground between the two, emphasizing freshwater systems as integrated ecological units. During the first half of the course, we will look at the abiotic aspects of freshwater systems such as the different types of systems, their origins and features, and their chemical and physical properties. In the second half of the course, we will focus on the different organisms found in these freshwater systems and how they interact together to form a biological community, with particular focus in how the properties discussed in unit 1 impact these communities.
This course will rely upon the student having a solid understanding of both basic ecological principles, and animal diversity, therefore students should have both Bio205 Diversity of Life 1 and Bio207 Intro to Ecology as prerequisites. If you do not have these courses, you should withdraw immediately as you will be totally lost once we get to the zoology section of the course.
- Teacher: Michael Richardson