Learn about the essential concepts of an ecosystem, behaviorial ecology, species abundance and ecological interactions.

In this comprehensive free online course on ecology and ecological interactions, you will be introduced to a wide range of concepts and theories connected to evolution and ecology. It will begin by familiarizing you with some of the interactions that drive the abundance and distribution of individual animals. You will study the essential concepts around ecosystems and behavioral ecology, and then discuss the role of ‘fitness’ in evolution. After this, you will look at the ‘emergent principle’ the levels of organization in the biological world, and measures of biodiversity.

Then, the course will help you learn about ecological interactions, especially the difference between intraspecific and interspecific synergies, and exploitative competition and interference competition. Different kinds of behavioural ecologies, such as foraging behaviour and anti-predator behaviour, are also analyzed. You will study primary production, the efficiency of production, and the biogeochemical cycle in greater detail. At the end of this course, you will explore the importance of nitrogen fixation and ammonification in the nitrogen cycle.

This free online course will be of great benefit to those with an interest in learning about or working in the area of ecology and ecological interactions.