Free Online Course: Ecology Studies - Ecosystem Ecology

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.