Biogeography
- Sciences
- 400 level
- 2 credit units
- 71 pages
- 6 units
This course explores the principles of biogeography, focusing on the ecosystem concept and its development. It examines energy flow, population, and community ecology, and delves into specific ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, deserts, and marine environments. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between living organisms and their environment, and the factors influencing their distribution and stability.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 150 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of ESM426, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
ESM426 · MODULE 1 UNIT2: Climax Concept and Ecosystem Stability
The producers , consumers and decomposers together consist the living weight or bounces of the ecosystem biomass or standing crop in the total amount of all because of 2 major interactions – complementarity and balance of competition be no one species suffers or gains more than the other in any competition.
What you should be able to do
- Define and explain the ecosystem concept and its components.
- Describe the process of ecological succession and climax community formation.
- Analyze energy flow and nutrient cycling in different ecosystems.
- Evaluate the factors influencing population growth and community structure.
- Compare and contrast the characteristics of major terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
What it prepares you for
- Environmental Consultant
- Conservation Biologist
- Ecologist
- Environmental Manager
- Wildlife Biologist
- Environmental Conservation
- Agriculture
- Forestry
- Wildlife Management
- Marine Biology
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Population and Community Ecology
Unit 1: Population and Community Ecology
Understanding the interplay of natality, mortality, immigration, and emigration requires grasping complex population dynamics.
- Module 6: The Biological Deserts
Unit 1: The Biological Deserts
Requires understanding of specialized morphological and physiological adaptations of organisms to extreme environmental conditions.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 54 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 1: The Ecosystem Concept · 4 hours
Define the ecosystem concept.. Understand the structure of the ecosystem.. Identify different levels of organization in the biosphere.. Identify the components of the ecosystem and some of their characteristics..
- Week 2Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 1: Strategy of Ecosystem Development · 4 hours
Define ecological succession.. Identify the different types of succession.. Identify the various stages of ecological succession and the various factors involved..
- Week 3Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 2: Climax Concept and Ecosystem Stability · 4 hours
Understand the climax concept and its relation to ecosystem stability.. Differentiate between monoclimax and polyclimax hypotheses.. Identify factors influencing climax community composition..
- Week 4Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 3: Concepts of Ecosystem Stability and Fragility · 4 hours
Define ecosystem stability and fragility.. Understand the factors influencing ecosystem resilience.. Differentiate between relative resilience, amplitude, and elasticity..
- Week 5Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 4: Fragile and Resilient (Durable) Ecosystem · 4 hours
Identify characteristics of fragile ecosystems.. Understand the factors contributing to the fragility of tropical rainforests, arctic tundra, and island ecosystems..
- Week 6Module 1: The Ecosystem Concept
Unit 5: Resilient (Durable) Ecosystem · 4 hours
Identify characteristics of resilient ecosystems.. Understand the factors contributing to the resilience of arid deserts, semi-natural permanent grasslands, and estuaries..
- Week 7Module 2: Energy Flow in the Ecosystem
Unit 1: Energy Flow in the Ecosystem · 4 hours
Understand the sources of energy for the ecosystem.. Explain the process of photosynthesis and biological production.. Describe the flow of energy through trophic levels and food chains..
- Week 8Module 3: Population and Community Ecology
Unit 1: Population and Community Ecology · 4 hours
Understand the structure and functioning of ecological populations and communities.. Discuss the various attributes of population and individuals composing them.. Explain the concept of ecological dominants and species population..
- Week 9Module 4: The Forest Ecosystem
Unit 1: The Forest Ecosystem · 4 hours
Identify the geographic distribution of forest ecosystem and the factors responsible.. Identify and describe the sub-divisions of forest ecosystem.. Describe the differences in the structural and functional characteristics of the different forest types..
- Week 10Module 5: The Grassland Ecosystem
Unit 1: The Grassland Ecosystem · 4 hours
Discuss the geographic distribution of grassland ecosystem and the factors influencing their distribution.. Outline the structural and floristic composition of the grassland ecosystem.. Differentiate between tropical and temperate grasslands..
- Week 11Module 6: The Biological Deserts
Unit 1: The Biological Deserts · 4 hours
Understand the characteristics of biological deserts.. Identify the factors leading to low productivity in deserts.. Differentiate between hot and cold deserts..
- Week 12Module 7: The Marine Ecosystem
Unit 1: The Marine Ecosystem · 4 hours
Understand the unique attributes of the marine ecosystem.. Explain why the marine environment provides a more conducive environment for life than land.. Explain the factors responsible for the salinity of the marine environment and its implications for life..
- Week 13Course Review
Final Revision and Examination Preparation · 6 hours
Review all modules and units.. Prepare for assignments and final examination..
Preparing for the exam
- Create concept maps linking ecosystem components (Units 1-2) to energy flow (Module 2).
- Practice calculating population growth rates using formulas from Module 3.
- Compare and contrast the characteristics of forest, grassland, and desert ecosystems (Modules 4-6) in a table.
- Focus on understanding the adaptations of organisms in extreme environments (Module 6).
- Review the key concepts of marine ecosystems, including salinity and productivity (Module 7).
- Review all TMAs and assignments, focusing on areas where you had difficulty.
Questions students ask about this course
What is ESM426 about?
This course explores the principles of biogeography, focusing on the ecosystem concept and its development. It examines energy flow, population, and community ecology, and delves into specific ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, deserts, and marine environments. The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between living organisms and their environment, and the factors influencing their distribution and stability.
How many units does ESM426 have?
ESM426, Biogeography, has 6 units across 2 modules, over 71 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is ESM426?
ESM426 carries 2 credit units, at 400 level in Sciences.
Is ESM426 hard?
ESM426 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.
How long does ESM426 take to study?
About 150 hours of study, spread across its 6 units.
How is ESM426 assessed?
ESM426 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What can I do with ESM426?
Environmental Consultant, Conservation Biologist, Ecologist, Environmental Manager and Wildlife Biologist.