Learn more about ecosystem types, ecosystem energy flow and transfer, ecosystem food webs and associated food chains. The ALISON free online course Ecology Studies – Ecosystem Ecology provides detailed information on the modeling of ecosystems, energy transfer and biogeochemical cycles.
Ecosystem Ecology CourseContent
The course includes the following topics:
- The three broad categories of ecosystems based on their general environment: freshwater, ocean water, and terrestrial ecosystems;
- The resources within these ecosystems;
- The critical factors influencing community dynamics;
- How energy is passed from one organism to another through food webs and their constituent food chains;
- Producers, consumers and decomposers;
- How energy transfers affect ecosystem structures and dynamics;
- How the structure of ecosystems can be visualized and modeled with ecological pyramids;
- The process of recycling inorganic matter between living organisms and their environment;
- How mineral nutrients are cycled from one living organism to another, and between the biotic and abiotic world;
- How human activities have impacted these biogeochemical cycles and the potential consequences for society.
Summary of Main Course Features
- Duration: 2-3 Hours
- Publisher: OpenStax College
- Price: Free
- The course will be ideal for students or professionals who want to develop a career in ecosystem research or for those who simply want to learn more about ecosystem structures, and how human activities have impacted on them.
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Selected Books: