One and only exam (but 2 opportunities) on all and every part: theory, practicals (P) and seminars (S).
Weight proportional to contribution to time planning: 60%, 20% y 20% (respectively). All 3 parts are to be passed simultaneously, but compensation possible if one part > 4/10.
Attendance not compulsory, but for P and S it’ll be recorded.
Students can voluntarily present at the deadline of the exam day a paper personal copybook on the work developed in all 8 S and/or all 3 P classes; main text must be manuscript (by hand) and the whole should be easily readable. Guides will be available in Moodle and the marks on these workbooks may help overcome insufficiencies in the corresponding exam.
Copybooks can be drafted in pairs or groups, but the final result is not to be cloned: they must reflect individual work and interpretation.
Both copybooks are needed to get the top mark (Honours).

Learning outcomes	Study programme competences
To describe ecological concepts at the individual, population, community and ecosystem level.	A1 A24
To discuss ecological concepts by critically considering the evidences in support.		B8
To face with some success the specialised literature.	A30
To use some basic techniques from the vast ecological methodology.	A17 A20 A21 A26 A30	B4 B6 B7 B12

Topic	Sub-topic
Section 1. Ecology and evolution	Unit 1. Introduction to ecology Unit 2. Natural selection
Section 2. Individuals and environment	Unit 3. The physical environment: land and water Unit 4. Plant adaptations to the environment Unit 5. Animal adaptations to the environment
Section 3. The ecosystem	Unit 6. The ecosystem and its functioning Unit 7. Production Unit 8. Energy flow Unit 9. Decomposition and nutrient cycling Unit 10. Global cycles

Methodologies / tests	Competencies	Ordinary class hours	Student’s personal work hours	Total hours
Guest lecture / keynote speech	A1 A17 A20 A21 A24 A26 A30 B4 B6 B7 B8 B12	24	62.4	86.4
Laboratory practice	A1 A17 A20 A21 A24 A26 A30 B4 B6 B7 B8 B12	15	15	30
Seminar	A1 A17 A20 A21 A24 A26 A30 B4 B6 B7 B8 B12	8	20.8	28.8
Objective test	A1 A17 A20 A21 A24 A26 A30 B4 B6 B7 B8 B12	3	0	3

Personalized attention		1.8	0	1.8

(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies	Description
Guest lecture / keynote speech	Oral presentations to transfer knowledge and ease learning. Most of the graphical support of presentations is available in the virtual campus (Moodle).
Laboratory practice	For the students to learn effectively through the completion of practical activities in the field and/or in the laboratory.
Seminar	Demonstration and study of numerical models for a better understanding and resolution of ecological problems. Most models will be worked with Faculty PCs if students have no portables.
Objective test	Written exam on all aspects of the matter: theory, practicals and seminars.

Methodologies	Competencies	Description	Qualification
Objective test	A1 A17 A20 A21 A24 A26 A30 B4 B6 B7 B8 B12	Written exam on all aspects of the matter: theory, practicals and seminars (see Assessment comments).	100

Assessment comments
One and only exam (but 2 opportunities) on all and every part: theory, practicals (P) and seminars (S). Weight proportional to contribution to time planning: 60%, 20% y 20% (respectively). All 3 parts are to be passed simultaneously, but compensation possible if one part > 4/10. Attendance not compulsory, but for P and S it’ll be recorded. Students can voluntarily present at the deadline of the exam day a paper personal copybook on the work developed in all 8 S and/or all 3 P classes; main text must be manuscript (by hand) and the whole should be easily readable. Guides will be available in Moodle and the marks on these workbooks may help overcome insufficiencies in the corresponding exam. Copybooks can be drafted in pairs or groups, but the final result is not to be cloned: they must reflect individual work and interpretation. Both copybooks are needed to get the top mark (Honours).

Basic	Alstad DN (2001). Basic Populus models of ecology. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Smith RL & Smith TM (2000). Ecología. Madrid: Pearson Piñol J & Martínez-Vilalta J (2006). Ecología con números. Barcelona: Lynx Molles M (2006). Ecología: Conceptos y Aplicaciones. McGraw Hill Krebs CJ (1986). Ecología: el análisis experimental de la distribución y la abundancia. Madrid: Pirámide Begon M, Harper JL & Townsend CR (1999). Ecología: individuos, poblaciones y comunidades. Barcelona: Omega Molles M (2013). Ecology: concepts and applications. McGraw Hill Smith TM, Smith RL (2015). Elements of Ecology. Pearson Ricklefs RE (1998). Invitación a la ecología: la economía de la naturaleza. Madrid: Panamericana Alstad DN (). www.cbs.umn.edu/populus. Piñol J & Martínez-Vilalta J (). www.ecologiaconnumeros.uab.es.
	One of the basic references for seminars is Piñol & Martínez-Vilalta (EC-650). The models in the CD included in this book are also available in its web page. From Alstad’s link the program “Populus” can be freely downloaded, containing models on general biology and also others for some particular seminars. It includes a PopulusHelp.PDF (mostly in English) that was edited as a book in 2001 (EC-505). For most of these basic references there are more recent editions and also English versions.
Complementary	Gotelli NJ (1995). A primer of ecology. Sunderland: Sinauer Margalef R (1974). Ecología. Barcelona: Omega Odum EP, Barret GW (2006). Fundamentos de ecología. Mexico: Thomson
	There are more recent editions of these complementary references, and also English versions.

Other comments
Understanding rather than memorization is favored.