Class Ecology

The UC of Ecology has as main objective to provide and extend the knowledge in Ecology essential to a future Environmental Engineer as well as to provide bases for subsequent UCs in the Environmental Engineering degree. The knowledge aquired in this unit will allow to foment values and attitudes conducive to making decisions regarding issues involving interactions between Science, Technology, Society and the Environment.

Not applicable

1) Introduction to Ecology: Definitions and general concepts; Multidisciplinarity; Biodiversity and evolution. 2) The organism and its environment: Relationship with the abiotic environment and important limiting factors; Energy balance. 3) Population ecology: General properties; Density; Birth rate; Mortality; Growth; Age structure; Regulation; Spacing; Structure; Types of interaction between species. 4) Community ecology: Community structure (diversity, diversity indices, ecological dominance, food chains, physical structure); Ecotone and edge effect; Factors influencing the community structure; Community dynamics. 5) Ecosystem: General concepts; Biological control of the chemical environment; Production and decomposition; Flow of matter and energy in the ecosystem. 6) Biogeochemical cycles: Basic types of biogeochemical cycles; The cycles of: carbon; nitrogen; oxygen; sulfur; phosphor; Interactions between biogeochemical cycles.

In this Curricular Unit, several laboratory activities will be carried out which, despite not being, in themselves, contemplated as innovative teaching methodologies, allow the consolidation of contents and the acquisition of practical skills. These activities allow the application of innovative teaching methodologies such as Problem Based Learning, which will be applied at the UC. Additionally, it is intended to use methodologies such as the Flipped Classroom.

Miller, G. T., Spoonman, S. E. (2015). Essentials of Ecology. 7ª ed. Cengage Learning. Smith, R. L. & Smith, T. M. (2015). Elements of Ecology. 9ª ed. Benjamin Cummings. Bush, M. B. (1997). Ecology of a Changing Planet. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Odum, E. P. (1997). Fundamentos de Ecologia. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Begon, M., Harper, J. L., Townsend, C. R. (1996). Ecology. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.