Functional and applied ecology
Course description
The course will provide the students with basic understanding of the practice and scientific foundation of evolutionary and ecological theories and explanatory models, and their applications in long-term sustainability, practical conservation ecology and green industries like horticulture, agriculture, silviculture, and in landscape planning. Through a combination of lectures, literature seminars, an excursion with practical exercises, analyses of scientific publications, and individual literature projects, we study how biodiversity, functional processes and ecosystem services are affected by interactions between natural and production landscapes from local biotopes to global levels.
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Entry Requirements
English 6
Exemption granted from the general entry requirement of Swedish.
Course facts
BI1486, Functional and applied ecology, 7.5 Hp
Print syllabus
Syllabus
Finalized by: Ordförande PN-LT Programnämnden för utbildning inom landskap och trädgård , 2025-11-14
Valid from : Autumn semester 2026 (2026-08-31)
Level
First cycle (G1F)
Main field of study
Biology
Subject
Science
Biology Area
Ecology
Grading Scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Course language
English
Entry Requirements
English 6
Exemption granted from the general entry requirement of Swedish.
Objectives
The course will provide the students with basic understanding of evolutionary and ecological theories and explanatory models, their scientific foundations, and their applications in long-term sustainability, practical conservation and green industries like horticulture, agriculture, silviculture, and in landscape planning.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to
- Account for basic evolutionary and ecological principles, their scientific basis, and their relevance for explaining ecological processes at different temporal and spatial scales: evolutionary, historical, and current events, as well as local, landscape, and global levels.
- Discuss and independently analyze problems and questions in ecology and its applications within green industries and conservation biology and landscape planning.
- Demonstrate basic ability to plan, analyze, present, and discuss evolutionary and ecological experiments and empirical observational studies according to scientific criteria.
Content
Subject-related content
The course treats basic evolutionary and ecological principles at a deeper level including how they are derived, studied scientifically, and applied in different contexts; especially at a greater temporal and spatial perspective at the landscape or global level.
- Evolutionary theory: principles for how we reconstruct evolutionary processes and how these processes work under different circumstances, and their relevance for conservation biology.
- Landscape ecology: basic components of landscapes and the principles behind landscape ecology. Spatial distribution of resources and how this affects the distribution of organisms in the landscape.
- Relations between landscape properties and its potential to maintain ecological functions and ecosystem services.
- Global ecology: large-scale distribution of climate zones and global processes like energy flows, nutrient circulation and biogeochemical cycles, and their effects on biodiversity.
- Scientific method: How scientific studies and publications are designed to identify, answer and present ecological questions.
Teaching formats
To further student learning and promote discussion, a variety of methods are used:
Lectures
Seminars where course literature and other information are discussed.
Excursions focused on ecological observations and data collection.
Seminars focused on data analysis and analysis of scientific publications.
Individual literature project focusing on ecological theory, problems and questions, and applications, with individual oral presentation.
The course focuses on the following generic competencies:
Information competence, scientific methods, oral communication
The following course components are compulsory:
Scheduled excursions, seminars, and presentations
Collaboration with the surrounding community takes place through
Excursion with landscape and agrarian history contents
Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course
Examination includes an oral examination and oral presentation of individual literature project. For a passing grade a passed oral examination, passed oral presentation, and approved participation in compulsory components of the course – excursion and seminars – are required.
Responsible Department/Equivalent
Department of Plant Protection Biology
Supplementary information
Included in program
- Syllabus for Horticultural Management – Gardening and Horticultural Production (BSc)
The Course Replaces
BI1397
Other Information
The course is based on participants having knowledge about basic evolutionary and ecological concepts and processes, either through the course BI1394, for which the present course is a direct continuation, or from another corresponding course.