Introduction to ecosystems

Gain an understanding of the natural world and how the web of life works, with illustrations from around the world.This course is designed to be studied for about 2 hours per week over 6 weeks. As there is no start and end date you can study in your own time and your own pace.Throughout this free non-accredited course you will be considering the following overarching questions:What is the importance of understanding ecosystems? How do they work? How crucial is their conservation?If we don't grasp why ecosystems function, it becomes harder to determine possible reasons for when they don't, and makes it difficult to identify possible environmental threats to humans. In this course you will discover how organisms are linked together by complex interrelationships, how such links are studied and how the physical properties of a particular habitat interact with the organisms that inhabit it. Using case studies, you will come to learn how knowledge of ecosystems leads to understanding of their individual importance, and how they can be preserved.This course is intended for those with an interest in natural history, conservation or the environment and does not require any previous experience of studying these subjects.This OpenLearn science course is produced with the kind support of Dangoor Education, the educational arm of The Exilarch's Foundation.

• Week1Week 1: What is an ecosystem?
• Introduction
• 1 Define an ecosystem
• 2 Investigating ecosystems
• 2.1 The rockpool
• 3 Study a habitat
• 4 The wetlands of Wicken Fen
• 4.1 Following the food web in Wicken Fen
• 4.2 Managing habitats in Wicken Fen
• 5 Week 1 quiz
• 6 Summary of Week 1
• Acknowledgements
• Week2Week 2: Understanding ecosystems
• Introduction
• 1 The carbon cycle
• 2 Exploring oak woodland
• 2.1 Following a food chain
• 3 Fungi and the woodwide web
• 3.1 Unearthing the woodwide web
• 3.2 Mutual benefits and competition
• 4 Life in trees
• 4.1 The colugo
• 4.2 Flying squirrels
• 4.3 Flying foxes
• 5 Week 2 quiz
• 6 Summary of Week 2
• Acknowledgements
• Week3Week 3: Animals and ecosystems at the extremes
• Introduction
• 1 Deserts
• 1.1 On size and shape
• 1.2 Behavioural strategies of evaders
• 1.3 Desert reptiles
• Desert burrows
• Burrowers
• 1.4 Behavioural strategies of evaporators
• 1.5 Behavioural strategies of endurers
• 1.6 Camels and humans as desert dwellers
• 2 Cold environments
• 2.1 Life on land at high latitudes
• 2.2 Life in the polar seas
• 3 Apply your knowledge of ecosystems
• 4 Week 3 quiz
• 5 Review of Weeks 1 to 3
• References
• Acknowledgements
• Week4Week 4: The unseen world
• Introduction
• 1 Seas, ecosystems and small organisms
• 1.1 Investigating small organisms
• 1.2 Investigating flagellates
• 1.3 Filtering food from the ocean
• 2 Analysing ecosystems – a summary
• 3 Identifying organisms
• 4 Week 4 quiz
• 5 Summary of Week 4
• Acknowledgements
• Week5Week 5: Human impact
• Introduction
• 5.1 Managing or meddling
• 5.2 Managing an ecosystem – the art of coppicing
• 5.3 The survival of Wicken Fen
• 5.4 Conserving a rare species
• 5.5 Week 5 quiz
• 5.6 Human influences on ecosystems
• Acknowledgements
• Week6Week 6: Fragile ecosystems
• Introduction
• 1 Gorillas and tourism
• 2 China’s Loess Plateau
• 3 Galápagos
• 3.1 Darwin’s arrival on the Galápagos Islands
• 3.2 Darwin’s thoughts on the iguanas
• 3.3 Invasive alien species
• 3.4 How do invasive alien species reach the Galápagos islands
• 3.5 Galápagos research and human effects
• 3.6 A fragile ecosystem
• 4 End of course quiz
• 5 Conclusion
• 6 Beyond ecosystems
• Acknowledgements