YBI-30303 Foodweb Ecology and Biodiversity

Course

Credits 3.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Assumed knowledge on:

CSA-20806 Population and systems Ecology or NCP- 22303 Ecology of communities, Ecosystems and Landscapes

Contents:

Food webs occupy a central issue in population, community and systems ecology. Food webs are descriptions of biological communities focusing on trophic interactions between consumers and resources - in this context, trophic interactions represent pathways in the cycling of matter, energy and nutrients. Food web interactions influence importantly the dynamics and persistence of populations through determining the availability of resources and mortality rates due to predation and hence are important drivers of biological diversity in ecosystems. By means of a food web approach it becomes therefore possible to upscale effects of environmental change on individuals and populations to the level of ecosystem functioning. Apart from theoretical background and the demonstration of a number of practical examples showing the relationship between the number of trophic levels and ecosystem stability, you will learn how to investigate soil and / or sediments food webs. Such food webs are highly interesting because of their complexity. At the same time, they can be studied well because all interactions take place within a small space, and within a relatively short time frame. During this course you will learn how to investigate soil and/ or sediment food webs, and you will experience how microscopy and DNA barcode based techniques can be used to get insight in food web functioning in densely inhabited habitats.

Learning outcomes:

- student is familiar with major theories that underlie food web ecology;
- student is familiar with essential biology and ecology of groups of organisms that structure food webs in terrestrial and marine ecosystems;
- student has insight in the relationships between food web structures and stability of ecosystems;
- students are familiar with methods and techniques currently used to unravel and evaluate soil food web structures with an emphasis on the use of quantitative DNA-based approaches as a novel and powerful tool for community analysis;
- students are able to design experiments and collect data essential for unravelling soil food web structures.

Activities:

Lectures, literature search, field trip (collection of samples) & chemical and biological analysis.

Examination:

Written examination.

Literature:

Manual can be obtained at the WUR-shop.