Goals
The goals of this course are to introduce the general concepts and vocabulary to allow discussion of biological systems at the scale of ecosystems and communities and to learn to use those concepts to understand the emergent properties of complex biological systems.

Learning outcomes
The course gives an overview of ongoing ecological research and constitutes a basis for studies for second-cycle studies and work within fields requiring knowledge in ecosystem functioning, community ecology and nutrient cycling.
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
a) account for theories and models of ecosystem functioning;
b) have a multidisciplinary perspective when approaching ecosystems, communities and nutrient cycles;
c) quantify and interpret diversity patterns;
d) critically review and discuss primary scientific texts in Ecology;
e) demonstrate an ability to identify his/her need of further knowledge.
f) schematically plan, carry out and statistically evaluate an ecological study.