Animal Ecology

The course provides a deeper understanding of animal-animal, animal-food and animal-environment interactions at multiple levels of organisation. At the individual level, we focus on the characteristics of food and foragers, with emphasis on herbivores and their feeding adaptations. Body size is introduced as a key determinant of foraging behaviour and movement. We address optimal foraging theory, exploring the factors shaping functional response curves, diet selection, patch choice and habitat selection. We also cover the principles of movement ecology, focusing on how animals search for and encounter resources within heterogeneous environments.

At the level of species and social interactions, we examine how animal communities are structured through competitive, facilitative, and predatory intra- and interspecific interactions.

At the community level, we will then discuss which factors determine species richness, resource partitioning, space use and activity patterns.

These themes are explored through lectures, discussions, a practical modelling and a field practical. Throughout the course, students are challenged not only to understand ecological theories, but also to test them. This includes learning how to build and use models, design experiments and fieldwork, and decide which types of ecological data are needed to test specific ecological hypotheses. The practical modelling and the field practical in Animal Ecology provide an opportunity to better understand ecological theory: students should explore one or few theories from the lectures in their modelling and test one or few hypotheses during the field practical.

• Summarise and explain major physiological and behavioural adaptations that animals use to search for food and habitat

• Analyse how current ecological theories about animal-animal, animal-food and animal-habitat interactions can be translated into testable hypotheses and predictions and analysed through mathematical modelling and field experiments

• Design and conduct a small-scale field experiment to collect empirical data relevant to hypotheses about animal-animal, animal-food (foraging) and/or animal-habitat interactions

• Construct, analyse and interpret ecological models to explore how assumptions about foraging behaviour and interactions influence ecological processes and ecosystem dynamics

• ? (50%)
• ? (25%) Report on practical modelling; when failed it can be submitted during the next resit period for this course.
• ? (%) Compulsory attendance at modelling assignment and field practical; a fail can only be corrected by attending all compulsory parts the next time the course is offered.
• ? (25%) Groupwork; poster made regarding field practical; when failed it can be redone during the next time the course is offered.

ZSS06200 Fieldwork Safety PEN10503 Ecology I or WEC21306 Introduction in Animal Ecology; WEC31806 Ecological Methods

• Will be provided during the lectures