This course is an introduction to ecology and ecosystem dynamics using a systems thinking lens. Through a case study on Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, learners will explore how scientists study ecosystems, and investigate the complex array of factors that inform management efforts. At the end of the course, learners will be able to grapple with real-world conservation questions, such as whether an ecosystem can recover from anthropogenic disruption and what role humans can, and should, play in that recovery.
ofrecido por
Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation
Museo Americano de Historia NaturalAcerca de este Curso
Resultados profesionales del estudiante
13%
19%
Resultados profesionales del estudiante
13%
19%
ofrecido por

Museo Americano de Historia Natural
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.

Instituto Médico Howard Hughes
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance biomedical research and science education. The HHMI BioInteractive website provides free multimedia resources to science educators and students. They include multimedia interactive resources, such as apps, animations, videos, click and learns, and virtual labs.
Programa - Qué aprenderás en este curso
Can an Ecosystem Recover?
We begin in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, and pose the question: Can this ecosystem recover after a 15-year civil war? To answer this question, learners must first consider what they need to know—what are the parts that make up this ecosystem, and how do they interact and work together? How do ecosystems react to disruption? How do we know? We will begin to explore the ecosystem as a dynamic whole rather than as a collection of parts, considering how changes might affect the system in a variety of ways. This application of a systems thinking lens to understanding ecosystems will be a common theme throughout the course.
How Do We Study Populations?
This week, we narrow the focus to populations within ecosystems. Who or what populates an ecosystem, and what are their roles? How do these roles change over time? What happens when a species is removed from a system? How do scientists study the populations within an ecosystem, from its largest to its smallest inhabitants? You will explore the important roles different species can play—such as ecosystem engineers, keystone species, and indicator species—and how they shape their ecosystems.
How Do Species Coexist?
This week we focus on community ecology and further explore the interactions between species in an ecosystem. For instance, how does the decline in a population from an ecosystem (as was the case in Gorongosa) affect the other players? How does adding a population -- such as an invasive species or translocated herds -- affect an ecosystem?
How is an Ecosystem a System?
This week, we will further their understanding about what makes an ecosystem a system by examining the flow of energy and matter through different parts of the environment. This includes understanding the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem and the services each component provides. We will introduce the complicated effects of both abiotic (climate change) and biotic (herbivory) interactions within a coastal salt marsh system, touching on ecological concepts of thresholds in a system and ecosystem resistance and resilience.
Reseñas
Principales reseñas sobre ECOLOGY: ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS AND CONSERVATION
It was a great course! I learned a lot about the multiple factors that participate inside an ecosystem and how they all need to be considered when thinking about conservation of an ecosystem
An excellent course that starts from the basics of ecology, explains different concepts, mathematical modelling techniques and finally covers the conservation approach and practices.
This course was amazing! It was a great refresher from what I've learned before, however being structured around an interesting case study greatly emphasized all the components of the course.
Super informative, great design and inspiring lecturers, this course was really an eye-opener for me. Highly recommended to all people interested in ecology. And also for those who aren't (yet) ;-)
Preguntas Frecuentes
¿Cuándo podré acceder a las lecciones y tareas?
¿Qué recibiré si compro el Certificado?
¿Hay ayuda económica disponible?
¿Tienes más preguntas? Visita el Centro de Ayuda al Alumno.