Northern food web ecology

Master course for biology students - principally aimed at MSc-students specializing in "Northern Populations and Ecosystems".

The course is available as a singular course.

Ecosystems in northern terrestrial biomes "arctic tundra and boreal forest" are increasingly studied using the framework of food web to understand ecosystem structure and functioning. The food web framework builds on well-established ecological theory on trophic interactions (producer-consumer relations) between plants, herbivores and carnivores. Recent methodological developments have provided means to study such trophic interactions more comprehensively within entire ecological communities. The food web approach appears to be especially amenable in case of the relatively simple communities in northern terrestrial ecosystem that often are ruled by a few key interactions. Food webs have also recently shown to be a very fruitful way to study the role of human intervention in ecosystems (harvesting and provision of anthropogenic subsidies) and especially the impact of climate change in arctic ecosystems.   

Admission requires a Bachelor`s degree (180 ECTS) or equivalent qualification, with a major in biology of minimum 80 ECTS and ecology of minimum 10 ECTS. 

Local admission, application code 9371 - Master`s level singular course

• To demonstrate how a food web perspective is useful for describing and analyzing ecological dynamics emerging from the trophic interaction in ecosystems.
• To give the students a basic understanding of how basic mechanism in populations and communities leads to ecological dynamics through training in the use of simple models to understand such dynamics.
• To provide an overview of the structural characteristics of terrestrial food webs and how these vary in time and space in boreal and arctic biomes.
• To give an introduction to some modern empirical methods of studying trophic interactions.
• To learn what are the key processes and functions in northern terrestrial food webs by means of illustrious case studies.
• To train students in reading, presenting and discussing scientific research papers efficiently and critically: student seminars.       

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

• BIO-3122 Northern populations and ecosystems 10 stp
• BIO-8016 Northern food web ecology 10 stp

Language of instruction and examination

This course is open for inbound exchange student who meets the admission requirements. Please see the "Admission requirements" section.

Do you have questions about this module? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412

More info about the coursework requirements

Re-sit examination