BIOE 220 - Alpine Community Ecology

4 Credit(s)

Exploration of the patterns of diversity, distribution and interactions of plants and animals, and their unique ecophysiological adaptations to life in the rugged environments of high mountains above the timberline, with emphasis on our scenic local Rocky Mountain Ranges. Community ecology is an interdisciplinary field that integrates concepts in ecology, biogeography, evolution and biological conservation. This course provides an introduction to the study of pattern and process in subalpine and alpine communities exploring both theoretical explanations for patterns of diversity and distribution of organisms and experimental approaches to investigate how interactions between organisms and between organisms and their environment affect community structure. Topics include spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity, community processes (competition, dispersal, disturbance, island biogeography, herbivory, predation, parasitism, mutualism and facilitation), community types, ecosystem function, and global environmental change. $50 course fee

Nat Sci.
Prerequisite(s): equivalent of M 095 or higher.
(fall/even-numbered years)