Ecosystems and Environmental Management
Ecosystems provide resources and services essential to our survival, and our actions have varied and significant impact on them. This course will include the study of ecology and environmental management, incorporating the fundamental components of ecosystems and how they interact. Students will learn about the components of ecosystems: biotic and abiotic, ecosystem development and functions, ecosystem cycles, and the foundations of population, community, and disturbance ecology. This information will be utilized to examine questions around land use, environmental management, economic impact, and the roles environmental ethics play in answering them.
Course at a glance
- Aimed at individuals transitioning into the environmental field, as well as mid-level professionals in sectors involving environmental aspects, this course will also be of value to agrologists, biologists, engineers, industrial managers, foresters, technologists, and others who wish to update their skills and knowledge in this area.
- This course may be recognized as educational or continuing professional development credits by ECO Canada, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB), the College of Alberta Professional Foresters (CAPF), and the Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals Of Alberta (ASET).
- In-class, lecture-based course with group work and case study review.
- Resources and course materials available through eClass, the University of Alberta’s eLearning management tool.
What you will learn
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the importance of ecology and ecosystems for human prosperity.
- List and describe the essential components of ecosystem structure, including biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
- Explain how energy relationships influence the size and numbers of plant and animal species.
- Understand and draw the cycles that drive and regulate ecosystems, as well as predict the consequences of alterations to these cycles.
- Describe the factors thought to determine the number and distribution of species; apply these factors to conservation planning.
- Understand the main characteristics of Alberta’s natural regions and appreciate a variety of land use issues facing these ecosystems.
- Evaluate ecosystem and species management from a variety of scientific, economic, and ethical perspectives.
This course has no prerequisites
Students from all educational backgrounds welcome. You can register for this course without applying and enrolling in a program.
Take note:
- Post-course work (assignments or exams) may be required.
- This is a required (core) course within the Environmental Resource Management certificate.
You can register for and take a course without applying and enrolling into the program.
When will this course be offered?
New course schedules are released each June and November.
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Call Continuing Education Student Services Office at 780-492-3116
or Information Services and Technology (IST) at 780-492-9400