Introduction to Population Ecology is a self-paced, online course offering a comprehensive look at community dynamics, species interactions, predator-prey cycles, species distribution, population growth and regulation, niches, and competition. It is an excellent progression from our Introduction to Ecology course or as a standalone resource for those with some preexisting ecological knowledge. It is designed for individuals pursuing ecological consultancy, research, or conservation careers. Introduction to Population Ecology will give you essential insights and practical understanding that can be applied to various ecological and environmental disciplines.
Course format: The course is presented as nine self-study modules that you can read through in your own time. To further enhance your knowledge and learning experience, there will be some directed reading for each module. It is essential that you complete this to make sure you get the most out of the course. There will be a short quiz at the end, and if you get over 70%, you will receive a Certificate.
Time commitment: We advise students to allow 2-4 hours per module to complete each module and to read around the subject.
How to book: You can book on-line here. Once you have booked, we will e-mail you to confirm that your booking has been received and you will then be able to start the course.
Module 2
Predicting population size
Module 3
Survival and reproduction
Module 4
Population growth and regulation
Module 5
Interactions between populations
Module 9
Population Ecology END OF COURSE QUIZ
Introduction to Population Ecology Course Outline
Module 1 – What is a population?
- Populations definition and examples
- Demography – describing populations
- Population size and density and methods for measuring
- Species distribution – uniform, random, clumped
Module 2 – Predicting population size
- Life tables
- Survivorship
- Age-sex structure
Module 3 – Survival and reproduction in populations
- Life history strategies
- Parental care vs fecundity
- Single vs multiple reproduction
Module 4 – Population growth
- Density dependent and independent factors
- Predator-prey cycles (also Module 9)
- Exponential and logistic growth
- Carrying capacity
Module 5 – Population regulation
- Density dependent and independent factors
- Population fluctuations
- Population cycles
Module 6 – Interactions between populations
- Ecological communities
- Interspecific interactions – competition, predation, symbiosis, mutualism. Commensalism, parasitism
Module 7 – Ecological interactions
- Consumer/heterotroph
- Predators and prey
- Carnivores and herbivores
- Autotrophs
- Primary, secondary, tertiary consumers
- Competition
Module 8 – Niches and competition
- What is a niche?
- Interspecific competition
- Competitive Exclusion Principle
- Resource partitioning
Module 9 – Predator-prey cycles
- Predators
- Predator-prey population dynamics
- Defence mechanisms
- Course Summary
The teaching is excellent. It’s clear, precise and easy to follow. The knowledge from Sue is fantastic and it’s taught in a very understandable way with no rush. It’s been really good and I feel I’ve been able to retain the information well because of the way the course has been taught.
I liked the course, it was very comprehensive. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the online elements of the course, I thought I would do better in a face to face course but honestly being able to go at my own pace is really working for me as I can spend time on the bits I find tricky as they come up rather than making a note to look things up later… I like the YouTube videos, being able to pause or even speed up the video to match my pace works well for me. I do feel like I learnt a lot. I would 100% recommend the course to others
Depth of knowledge was excellent.
Useful links, detailed information, great supporting photos
Flexibility and easy to follow layout.
I liked the ability to undertake the course at my own pace.
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Yes! We want you to get as much out of this course as possible. We encourage you to refer back to your course materials from time to time to refresh your memory and ensure that you are confident on the subject. Therefore, when you purchase this course, you will have lifetime access to the course materials.
The final exam is designed to test whether you have learned the appropriate knowledge and skills during this course. If you take the final exam and do not pass, we encourage you to review the course material and ensure you have read, understood and remembered the lessons. We want you to get the most out of this course and provide you with the knowledge and confidence you need to apply what you learn to your job or career. You may retake the final test once you have revisited the course material.
