Course Details
Country:
Netherlands
Institution:
Free University of Amsterdam
Course Title:
Adaptation to Human Environments
Course Number:
AB_1219
Course Description:
Course Objective This course addresses the ecological and evolutionary processes that are typical of human impacted environments. We will focus on a range of human activities that have profoundly altered ecosystems, or completely replaced natural areas by anthropogenic areas, such as megacities, or highly industrialised agricultural fields. We will discuss differences as well as similarities between natural and anthropogenic habitats and how differences in (a)biotic conditions influence organisms and their local communities. Next we will identify important selection pressures that are likely to be key drivers of anthropogenic biodiversity. Finally, we will focus on the different mechanisms through which organisms can adapt to anthropogenic selection pressures, ranging from behavioural flexibility to rapid evolution via changes in allele frequencies found at genomic hotspots. The final aim of the course is to understand whether and how organisms adapt to human-altered environments and to use this knowledge to improve, or manage biodiversity. At
Language:
English
Approved Equivalent:
INTS 399
Attachment Files:
