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Introduction to ecology

* Exchange students do not have to consider this information when selecting suitable courses for an exchange stay.

Course Unit Code616-2021/01
Number of ECTS Credits Allocated7 ECTS credits
Type of Course Unit *Compulsory
Level of Course Unit *First Cycle
Year of Study *First Year
Semester when the Course Unit is deliveredWinter Semester
Mode of DeliveryFace-to-face
Language of InstructionCzech
Prerequisites and Co-Requisites There are no prerequisites or co-requisites for this course unit
Name of Lecturer(s)Personal IDName
SUT76Ing. Petra Šutarová
LAC0012Ing. Eva Szotkowská Lacková, Ph.D.
Summary
The aim of the subject is to acquaint students with basic concepts and relations in the fields of ecology, biology, botany, zoology and environmental geochemistry and geology. From a biology point of view, this is a comprehensive overview of basic information about living matter, its composition, its structure and its functions at individual hierarchical levels. Environmental geochemistry familiarizes itself with the patterns of migration of elements in the Earth's crust and the environment. Botany focuses on plant physiology, systematic botany. Zoology introduces students to knowledge of the general characteristics of the animal kingdom, characterizes the fauna of the Czech Republic and its position within Europe.
Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit
Student will be able to formulate and define the basic concepts and relationships of ecology issues.
Student will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the problems of landscape, island, invasive ecology.
Student will be able to describe the differences between ecosystems without the influence and with influence of human activities.
Student will be able to demonstrate their acquired knowledge in practice.
Student will be able to analyze problems related to different types of ecosystems (oceanic and coastal), ecology of wetlands, coral reefs, oil spills, etc.
Student will be able to present a properly formulate their knowledge and understanding using PC programs.
Course Contents
1st The content and subject of the first exploration of ecology, basic ecological concepts. Protection of the environment in relation to ecology. Ecological niche. Primary and secondary succession. Formation condition climax. Biomes.
2nd Biotic and abiotic environment. The individual, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere. Interspecies cooperation and competition. The effect of environmental factors on organisms. Dependence on environmental factors. Adaptation and convergence of species. And factors limiting production. Range of tolerance, ecological amplitude of the species. The law and the law of the minimum tolerance.
3rd Zonation and communities gravity on Earth. Metabolism communities. Primary and secondary producers.
4th ecosystem. Basic principles, functions. Food links, basic food (trophic) chains and networks. Control trophic chains. Energy balance. Energy flows in the ecosystem. The productivity of ecosystems. The effect of environmental factors. And limiting production factors and the transformative effects. Artificial and natural ecosystems.
5th Biogeochemical cycles - cycles of nutrients. Basic and removable tray. Distribution of biogeochemical cycles. Gas cycle type. The cycle of carbon dioxide. The nitrogen cycle. The water cycle, small and large, the revenue and expenditure components. Cycling of elements. Sulfur cycle. Sedimentary cycles. The cycle of phosphorus. The circulation of vitamin B12. Migration of contaminants. Concentrations of contaminants (NPK).
6th Resources of the biosphere. Renewable and non-renewable resources of the biosphere. Contamination of the biosphere. Ecological crisis. Natural resources: soil, water, air, flora, fauna. Energy and mineral resources of the biosphere. The primary sources of the biosphere. Solar radiation and its use. Heliotechnika. Wind power. Energie sea and waterways. Geothermal energy. Thermonuclear energy utilization of mineral resources.
7th Man and his environment. Human Development. The impact of human activities on the environment. Man and Energy. Human populations. Human and Health. Contamination of the food chain. Action and effect of pollutants on humans.
8th Landscape Ecology. Basic concepts - landscape element, component, etc.. Development of the country. Ecological stability and revitalization of the landscape. Planning. Ecological stability and its function. Biocentres, corridors and interactive elements. The territorial system of ecological stability (TSES). Recovery (revitalization) landscape, basic types.
9th Green features in the landscape. Forest vegetation, sparse vegetation and group (solitary). Breakdown of greenery in settlements. The basic function of green - landscape ecological, sanitary and health, aesthetic and psychological, production. Landscape ecological function. Basic concepts (refugium, sediment, suspended solids). The function of riparian vegetation.
10th Function hygiene and health. Meanings of greenery in the open and in settlements. The effects of green - the production of oxygen in air quality, protective effect against radioactive fallout, antibacterial effect, repellent effect and influence on the movement, humidity, drainage, sanitation and land reclamation and protection against noise.
11th Function aesthetic and psychological. Production function. Effect of water by human activities. Daily water consumption in our country and the world. Water management. The origin and composition of water. Withholding water, its occurrence state. Characteristics of different forms: dew, fog, drizzle, hail, frost, ice, atmospheric water, acidic atmospheric water.
12th Field Botany - Introduction to Plant Physiology. Water plants. Mineral nutrition of plants. Photosynthesis. Breathing. Secondary plant substances. Heterotrophic nutrition. Physiology of movements - physical and vital movements. Fytohromony. Physiology of plant growth and development. Reproduction of plants.
13th Environmental geochemistry and geochemical geologie- basic concepts. Geochemical background. Geochemical anomalies. Biogeochemistry. Biogeochemical cycles of organogenic elements. Biogeochemical migration of minor and trace elements.
14th The science of zoology 14th - Characteristics of zoology as a science. Systematic Zoology. Basic systematic category. Binomial nomenclature. Biological species. Characteristic fauna Czech Republic and its position in Europe.
Recommended or Required Reading
Required Reading:
MORGAN, Sally. Ecology and environment: the cycles of life. New York: Oxford University Press, c1995. ISBN 0-19-521140-5.
HERČÍK, Miloslav, Vladimír LAPČÍK a Karel OBROUČKA. Ochrana životního prostředí pro inženýrské studium. Ostrava: VŠB - Technická univerzita Ostrava, 1994. ISBN 80-7078-255-2.
BRANIŠ, Martin. Základy ekologie a ochrany životního prostředí: učebnice pro střední školy. 3., aktualiz. vyd. Praha: Informatorium, 2004. ISBN 80-7333-024-5.
CAMPBELL, Neil A. a Jane B. REECE. Biologie. Přeložil Hana MORAVCOVÁ. Brno: Computer Press, c2006. ISBN 80-251-1178-4.
ROSYPAL, Stanislav. Nový přehled biologie. Praha: Scientia, 2003. ISBN 80-7183-268-5.
ROMANOVSKÝ, Alexej. Obecná biologie. 2. vyd. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1988.
TOWNSEND Colin R.,BEGON Michael a HARPER John L.. Základy ekologie (Essentials of Ecology). Univerzita Palackého Olomouc, Olomouc. 2010. 505. ISBN 978-80-244-2478-1.
Recommended Reading:
EGON, Michael, John L. HARPER a Colin R. TOWNSEND. Ecology: individuals, populations, and communities. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science, c1996. ISBN 0-632-03801-2.
BOUŠKA V. a kol. Geochemie. Academia, Praha. 1980. 556 s.
STALMACHOVÁ, B. Biologie i - botanika. (Systematika nižších rostlin). Skripta VŠB - TU Ostrava. 1996.
PAPÁČEK, M. et al. Zoologie. Praha : Scientia. 1997. 286 pp. ISBN 80-7183-203-0.
LAŠTŮVKA Z., KREJČOVÁ P. Ekologie. Nakladatelství Konvoj,spol. s r.o. Brno. 2000.
KUDRNA a kol. Biosféra a lidstvo. Academia Praha. 1988.
DUVIGNEAUD P. Ekologická syntéza. Academia Praha. 1988.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures, Tutorials
Assesment methods and criteria
Task TitleTask TypeMaximum Number of Points
(Act. for Subtasks)
Minimum Number of Points for Task Passing
Credit and ExaminationCredit and Examination100 (100)51
        CreditCredit30 15
        ExaminationExamination70 (70)30
                Písemná zkouškaWritten examination50 20
                Ústní zkouškaOral examination20 5