BBE 302 : Behavioural Ecology

Behavioural ecology is a research field that helps us to understand patterns of animal behaviour through a framework that incorporates animal ecology and evolution. In this unit students will be introduced to practical behavioural ecology in situ in the Australia arid zone. The program is built around an intensive 10 day residential field course based at the Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, in far-west NSW, during the Easter break. This compulsory field trip will be supported by a short lecture component on campus in the weeks immediately before (3 weeks x 2 hours) and after (2 weeks x 2 hours). The practical component of the course will focus on the characteristic arid zone fauna (invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals) found throughout much of the Australian interior, and will introduce techniques widely used in ecological and behavioural research, by wildlife agencies and the ecological industry (e.g., surveying, trapping, monitoring). The course will explore behavioural ecology in the context of the arid zone environment investigating patterns of movement, reproduction, communication, life-history, foraging ecology, sociality, and population dynamics.

Behavioural ecology provides the best way to understand and predict how animals may be affected by human-induced environmental change and to alleviate the increasing threats to global biodiversity. This course will also provide direct experience of the field skills and techniques that are widely used by those studying animals in research or applied industries (e.g. Parks and Wildlife Service and Ecological Consultants).

The field course at Fowlers Gap will provide an excellent opportunity for students to experience the arid environment that covers over 80% of the continent. Fowlers Gap is a University field station just north of Broken Hill, NSW that is well equipped to cater for field trips such as this and provides an excellent opportunity to experience the stunning beauty of the Australian outback in relative comfort.

The field course to Western NSW is essential and students will incur some expenses covering travel and living costs.

BBE 302 is part of the Undergraduate Coherent Study in Brain, Behaviour and Evolution (ANB01) and will be offered for the first time in 2009. The course is taught by staff from the Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour (CISAB) a community of leading researchers with international reputations. BBE 302 builds upon the very general introduction to fundamental biological processes of BBE 200 (Brain, Behaviour & Evolution), and is designed to be readily accessible to a broad range of students. Other courses in the BBE program in 2009 include BBE 201 (Human Behaviour & Evolution), BBE 300 (Animal Communication), BBE 301 (Brain & Behaviour), and BBE 302 (Behavioural Ecology).

Aims

By the end of the course, the student will have an in-depth understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes driving the behaviour of animals (and humans). This course prepares the student for further study in the BBE program (in D2), and provides a higher level introduction to the scientific philosophy and research methodology used in the study of animal behaviour and ecology.

Workload

Lectures: 2 h per week (for five weeks around the Easter break)
Field Course: 10 days during the Easter break


Assessment