• Lecture, 3 credits
• Prerequisites: BIO262
• Syllabus

Community Ecology is designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students who have completed at least one course in ecology (for undergraduates, BIO 262). The course will consist of lectures and student-led discussions of the primary literature, and class participation will form an integral part of the course. Graduate students are required to complete an independent research proposal.

Community ecology as a science emerged approximately 100 years ago when scientists began describing the structure of plant "communities" and their relationship with the environment. The scope of community ecology has since broadened to address more and different types of organisms, and increasing attention has been paid to community function. Much of community ecology is concerned with discerning the underlying principles that structure the almost infinite number of potential interactions between organisms, thereby reducing the complexity and increasing the predictability associated with dealing with multiple species at once. A number of theories have been developed, many of which (niche, food web, island biogeography, diversity and stability, etc.) have fostered heated controversies. This course will provide an overview of the different aspects of community ecology while emphasizing its connection with other ecological and scientific disciplines.