ECOS1077 Anthropogenic selection pressures (5 cr)
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student:
- is able to understand how antrophogenic selection pressures differ from "natural" selection and what are possible similarities.
- can recognize and make predictions about possible human induced evolutionary changes
- can plan research to detect those changes
Study methods
Lectures, practicals, seminar and exam
Content
During this course we will focus on to understand what kind of selection pressures human activity can cause to natural populations. The goal is to learn to apply evolutionary theory to practical conservation and environmental problems. We will handle various human induced selection pressures and how wild plant and animal populations response to this selection. We will for example handle e.g. fishing and hunting selection, ionization, urbanization, domestication and problems in re-introduction, invasive species, intensive farming, pesticide/toxin/heavy medal selection and GMO.
Assessment criteria
Activity on seminars (25%), practicals (25%), seminar (25%) and exam (25%).