Course Information

IMPORTANT ANOUNCEMENT!!!

The first three weeks of this course will be online. We will host the two modules of this course (i.e., 2-hr lecture and 1-hr practice) on different platforms. We will use Google Meet for the lecture section (link here). To mimic an environment where we can provide one-on-one coding advice, we will use Gather Town for the hands-on practice section (link here). Please login in advance to make sure it is working; learn how to use Gather Town here.

For those who wish to enroll manually, please join the first lecture and stay online afterward. Since we have moved to a larger classroom due to COVID-19 regulation, we can accommodate more students. We have asked students to introduce themselves (e.g., research interest and familiarity with R; 1-2 minutes) during the first time we meet online, so please also be prepared if you wish to enroll.

Description

The development of theory plays an important role in advancing ecology as a scientific field. This three-unit course is for students at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level. The course will cover classic theoretical topics in ecology, starting from single-species dynamics and gradually build up to multi-species models. The course will primarily focus on population and community ecology, but we will also briefly discuss models in epidemiology and ecosystem ecology. Emphasis will be on theoretical concepts and corresponding mathematical approaches.

This course is designed as a two-hour lecture followed by a one-hour hands-on practice module. In the lecture, we will analyze dynamical models and derive general theories in ecology. In the hands-on practice section, we will use a combination of analytical problem sets, interactive applications, and numerical simulations to gain a general understanding of the dynamics and behavior of different models.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students are expected to be familiar with the basic building blocks of ecological models and would be able to formulate and analyze simple models of their own. The hands-on practice component should allow students to link their ecological intuition with the underlying mathematical model, helping them to better understand the primary literature of theoretical ecology.

Requirements

Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Calculus (e.g., freshman introductory course) and Ecology.

Format

Tuesday 1:20 pm ~ 4:20 pm at Classroom 3C, Life Science Building

  • Lecture (two hours): selected topics of ecological theories and models (blackboard writing)
  • Lab (one hour): hands-on practice in programming and simulation (using R) + discussion

Grading

The final grade consists of:

  1. Assignment problem sets (60%)
  2. Midterm exam (15%)
  3. Final exam (15%)
  4. Course participation (10%)

Course materials

We will be using a combination of textbooks and literature articles on theoretical ecology in this course. Textbook chapters and additional reading materials will be provided (see Syllabus for more details).

Below are the textbook references:

  • Case, Ted J. An illustrated guide to theoretical ecology. Oxford University Press, 2000.
  • Gotelli, Nicholas J. A primer of ecology 4th edition. Sinauer Associates, 2008.
  • Pastor, John. Mathematical ecology of populations and ecosystems. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
  • Otto, Sarah P. and Troy Day. A biologist’s guide to mathematical modeling in ecology and evolution. Princeton University Press, 2011.

Contacts

Instructor: Po-Ju Ke

  • Office: Life Science Building R635
  • Email:
  • Office hours: by appointment

Teaching assistant: Gen-Chang Hsu