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NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COURSE CODE: BIO 314 COURSE TITLE: ANIMAL ECOLOGY 1 BIO 314: ANIMAL ECOLOGY Team Writers: Dr O.A. Olajuyigbe Department of Biology Adeyemi Colledge of Education, P.M.B. 520, Ondo, Ondo State Nigeria. Miss F.C. Olakolu Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, No 3 Wilmot Point Road, Bar-beach Bus-stop, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Mrs H.O. Omogoriola Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, No 3 Wilmot Point Road, Bar-beach Bus-stop, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. EDITOR: Mrs Ajetomobi School of Agricultural Sciences Lagos State Polytechnic Ikorodu, Lagos 2 BIO 313 COURSE GUIDE Introduction Animal Ecology (313) is a first semester course. It is a two credit unit elective course which all students offering Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biology can take. Animal ecology is an important area of study for scientists. It is the study of animals and how they related to each other as well as their environment. It can also be defined as the scientific study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. Since this is a course in animal ecology, we will focus on animals, which we will define fairly generally as organisms that can move around during some stages of their life and that must feed on other organisms or their products. There are various forms of animal ecology. This includes: • Behavioral ecology, the study of the behavior of the animals with relation to their environment and others • Population ecology, the study of the effects on the population of these animals • Marine ecology is the scientific study of marine-life habitat, populations, and interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic (non-living physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce) and biotic factors (living things or the materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment). • Evolutionary ecology is the study of how animals evolve over time to meet the demands on them This course deals with the historical concept of ecology, ecology of local and aquatic animals. The other contents are growth rate, age structure of animal population, Natality and Mortality, Survivorship Curves, Life Tables and K-Factor Analysis, Competition, The Natural Regulation of Animal Numbers, Population Cycles, Dynamics of Predator-Prey Systems, Ecology of African Mammals and Behavioural Ecology. What you will learn in this course In this course, you have the course units and a course guide. The course guide will tell you briefly what the course is all about. It is a general overview of the course materials you will be using and how to use those materials. It also helps you to allocate the appropriate time to each unit so that you can successfully complete the course within the stipulated time limit. The course guide also helps you to know how to go about your Tutor-Marked-Assignment which will form part of your overall assessment at the end of the course. Also, there will be tutorial classes that are related to this course, where you can interact with your facilitators and other students. Please I encourage you to attend these tutorial classes. This course exposes you to Animal Ecology, a sub-discipline and very interesting field of Biology. 3 Course Aims This course aims to enable you to know/understand the relationship between animals in their ecosystem and environment. Course Objectives To achieve the aim set above, there are objectives. Each unit has a set of objectives presented at the beginning of the unit. These objectives will give you what to concentrate and focus on while studying the unit and during your study to check your progress. The Comprehensive Objectives of the Course are given below. At the end of the course/after going through this course, you should be able to: 1.0 Explain the historical background of animal ecology 2.0 Mention the names of the scientists involved and their contribution to the development of animal ecology 3.0 Explain the basic fundamental of ecology and its components 4.0 Explain the various relationships influencing the ecological community 5.0 State and explain the different type of ecosystem components 6.0 Describe the levels of energy flow in ecosystem. 7.0 Explain the ecology of different fish species 8.0 Explain the ecology of Sea-turtle species 9.0 Define demography 10.0 Explain the term direct and indirect demographic 11.0 List and explain eight methods used in demographics. 12.0 List and discuss three ways by which population can be changed Working through the Course To successfully complete this course, you are required to read each study unit, read the textbooks and other materials provided by the National Open University. Reading the reference materials can also be of great assistance. Each unit has self –assessment exercise which you are advised to do. At certain periods during the course you will be required to submit your assignments for the purpose of assessment. There will be a final examination at the end of the course. The course should take you about17 weeks to complete. This course guide provides you with all the components of the course, how to go about studying and how you should allocate your time to each unit so as to finish on time and successfully. 4
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