This course is an introduction to ecology and ecosystem dynamics using a systems thinking lens. Through a case study on Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, learners will explore how scientists study ecosystems, and investigate the complex array of factors that inform management efforts. At the end of the course, learners will be able to grapple with real-world conservation questions, such as whether an ecosystem can recover from anthropogenic disruption and what role humans can, and should, play in that recovery.
Offert par
Muséum américain d'histoire naturelle
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation
Muséum américain d'histoire naturelleÀ propos de ce cours
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Niveau intermédiaire
Approx. 9 heures pour terminer
Anglais
Sous-titres : Français, Portugais (brésilien), Russe, Anglais, Espagnol
Résultats de carrière des étudiants
18%
ont commencé une nouvelle carrière après avoir terminé ce cours
17%
ont bénéficié d'un avantage concret dans leur carrières grâce à ce cours
Certificat partageable
Obtenez un Certificat lorsque vous terminez
100 % en ligne
Commencez dès maintenant et apprenez aux horaires qui vous conviennent.
Dates limites flexibles
Réinitialisez les dates limites selon votre disponibilité.
Niveau intermédiaire
Approx. 9 heures pour terminer
Anglais
Sous-titres : Français, Portugais (brésilien), Russe, Anglais, Espagnol
Offert par
Muséum américain d'histoire naturelle
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance biomedical research and science education. The HHMI BioInteractive website provides free multimedia resources to science educators and students. They include multimedia interactive resources, such as apps, animations, videos, click and learns, and virtual labs.
Programme du cours : ce que vous apprendrez dans ce cours
2 heures pour terminer
Can an Ecosystem Recover?
We begin in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, and pose the question: Can this ecosystem recover after a 15-year civil war? To answer this question, learners must first consider what they need to know—what are the parts that make up this ecosystem, and how do they interact and work together? How do ecosystems react to disruption? How do we know? We will begin to explore the ecosystem as a dynamic whole rather than as a collection of parts, considering how changes might affect the system in a variety of ways. This application of a systems thinking lens to understanding ecosystems will be a common theme throughout the course.
2 heures pour terminer
3 vidéos (Total 26 min), 7 lectures, 1 quiz
3 vidéos
Introduction to Module One1 min
Africa's Savanna Ecosystems23 min
7 lectures
Syllabus5 min
Classroom Resources10 min
Course Credits1 min
Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park: Can an Ecosystem Recover?10 min
Introduction to Ecology10 min
Introduction to Biodiversity10 min
Introduction to Systems--and Systems Thinking10 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Module One: What have you learned?30 min
1 heure pour terminer
How Do We Study Populations?
This week, we narrow the focus to populations within ecosystems. Who or what populates an ecosystem, and what are their roles? How do these roles change over time? What happens when a species is removed from a system? How do scientists study the populations within an ecosystem, from its largest to its smallest inhabitants? You will explore the important roles different species can play—such as ecosystem engineers, keystone species, and indicator species—and how they shape their ecosystems.
1 heure pour terminer
3 vidéos (Total 38 min), 2 lectures, 1 quiz
3 vidéos
Modeling Population and Species Interactions Holiday Lecture29 min
Surveying Ant Diversity in Gorongosa National Park7 min
2 lectures
How do we Study a Population--and Why? Part I: Population Dynamics10 min
How do we Study a Population--and Why? Part II: Modeling Population Growth10 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Module Two: What have you learned?30 min
2 heures pour terminer
How Do Species Coexist?
This week we focus on community ecology and further explore the interactions between species in an ecosystem. For instance, how does the decline in a population from an ecosystem (as was the case in Gorongosa) affect the other players? How does adding a population -- such as an invasive species or translocated herds -- affect an ecosystem?
2 heures pour terminer
4 vidéos (Total 86 min), 2 lectures, 1 quiz
4 vidéos
How Species Coexist26 min
Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic Cascades19 min
Communities as Ecological Networks39 min
2 lectures
Communities and the Interaction Between Species10 min
Community Structure and Dynamics10 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Module Three: What have you learned?30 min
2 heures pour terminer
How is an Ecosystem a System?
This week, we will further their understanding about what makes an ecosystem a system by examining the flow of energy and matter through different parts of the environment. This includes understanding the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem and the services each component provides. We will introduce the complicated effects of both abiotic (climate change) and biotic (herbivory) interactions within a coastal salt marsh system, touching on ecological concepts of thresholds in a system and ecosystem resistance and resilience.
2 heures pour terminer
3 vidéos (Total 52 min), 2 lectures, 1 quiz
3 vidéos
Climate Stress and Coastal Food Webs43 min
Analyzing Patterns in a Savanna Landscape7 min
2 lectures
Flow of Energy and Matter in an Ecosystem10 min
Ecosystem Services, Functioning, and Resilience10 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Module Four: What have you learned?30 min
Avis
Meilleurs avis pour ECOLOGY: ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS AND CONSERVATION
par AJ1 juin 2019
This was particularly in-depth on the sciences of ecology, and having it based around a particular conservation project made it easier to follow each progressive lecture and concept that was explored.
par AA7 juil. 2020
I really enjoyed taking this course. It gave me good knowledge base in ecology and conservation. The course is very well structured and is suitable for people with no prior knowledge in the topic.
par AC9 août 2020
An excellent course - clearly presented, and highly engaging and informative. Does not assume any prior knowledge, but goes into great detail and covers many important areas. I highly recommend!
par LW6 juil. 2020
This course was amazing! It was a great refresher from what I've learned before, however being structured around an interesting case study greatly emphasized all the components of the course.
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