LEC241 Populations to Ecosystems Course coordinator: Dr Carly Stevens Other lecturers: Dr Ken Wilson

Lectures will be on: Week 1 Monday 11-12 Fylde LT2, Tuesday 1-2 George Fox LT4 Week 2, 3 Tuesday 1-2 George Fox LT4, Thursday 9-10 George Fox LT4 Weeks 4-10 Monday 11-12 Fylde LT2, Tuesday 1-2 George Fox LT4 Note there are no lectures on Tuesday in weeks 8 and 9 Lecture programme Lecture 1 5: Introduction to population ecology (Nigel Paul/Stuart Sharp) These lectures will provide an introduction to population ecology and will cover the abiotic factors that regulate populations, life history strategies of populations, competitive interactions within populations, and meta-population dynamics. Lecture 1 Introduction Lecture 2 Population growth Lecture 3 Density dependence Lecture 4 Intraspecific competition Lecture 5 Dispersal and metapopulations Lecture 6 9: Species interactions (Carly Stevens) These lectures will introduce how species interact both within and across trophic levels. They will look at the fundamental theories and patterns behind interspecific competition, predation and mutualisms and how these influence population dynamics. They will also investigate the drivers of species richness. Lecture 6 Interspecific competition (CS) Lecture 7 Predation (CS) Lecture 8 Mutualism (CS) Lecture 9 Parasitism (CS) Lecture 10 20: Community ecology (Carly Stevens) These lectures will introduce the belowground system and look at how the species interactions and soil communities discussed in impact on community structure and dynamics. The lectures will introduce the role of disturbance in structuring communities, by examining current theory on how communities change over both long and short time-scales. The lectures will also examine the dominant issues in current research the impact of invasive species on ecosystem functioning, and interactions between global change and carbon cycling. Lecture 10 Introduction to soils (CS) Lecture 11 Above and below ground linkages (CS) Lecture 12 Invasive species (CS) Lecture 13 Succession (CS) Lecture 14 Disturbance (CS) Lecture 15 Climate change (CS) Lecture 16 Self study Lecture 17 Drivers of species richness (CS) Lecture 18 Self study Lecture 19 Paper discussion (CS) Lecture 20 Revision lecture (CS)

Practical programme Week 2: (Ken Wilson) Friday 2-5, Bowland North SR06: Workshop on applied population ecology: crop pest control. POSTPONED, to be rearranged. Week 6, 7 and 8: (Carly Stevens) Tuesday weeks 6 and 7 9-12 LEC A1 Laboratory experiment to investigate the impact of invasive species on ecosystem function. Wednesday week 8 Friday 2-5 in Hannaford lab for data analysis. In week 6 we will collect soil samples from woodlands on campus so please dress appropriately. Week 9: (Carly Stevens) Friday 2-5, Management School LT11: Group presentations.

Assessment 50 % of the course is examined by coursework, the remainder by a summer exam. There is no end of module test, but there are two pieces of course work as follows: Lab write-up 65 % (Carly Stevens) due: 20th April 11.00 am Group presentations will be set on week 6 and presented to the group in the session in week 9 in the

Friday session 35 % (Carly Stevens).

LEC241 Populations to EcosystemsDr Carly StevensDr Ken Wilson

Lectures will be on: