Merrymeeting Bay / Kennebec Estuary Research Program (Bowdoin)

Community and Ecosystem Ecology - BIO 225

Course Description

Community ecology is the study of the dynamic patterns in the distribution and abundance of organisms. Ecosystem ecology is the study of the flow of energy and cycling of matter through ecological communities across multiple spatial scales. Explores the multitude of interactions among populations of plants, animals, and microbes, and between those populations and the physical and chemical environment. Topics include the creation and function of biodiversity, the complexity of species interactions in food webs, the role of disturbance in ecosystem processes, the relative magnitude of top-down versus bottom-up controls in ecosystems, and much more. Laboratory sessions consist of local field trips, team research exercises, and independent field research projects. Time is also set aside for discussions of current and classic scientific literature.

Taught by John Lichter

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Abagadasett River	Students Collecting Data on Swan Island

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Students Canoeing to Swan Island