BS241-5-SP-CO:
Biodiversity: From Genes to Ecosystems
2025/26
Life Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
22 May 2025
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BSC C520 Ecology and Environmental Biology,
BSC C521 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C522 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C523 Ecology and Environmental Biology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C161 Marine Biology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C164 Marine Biology,
BSC CC60 Marine Biology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC CC64 Marine Biology (Including Placement Year),
MSCIB097 Tropical Marine Biology,
MSCIBA97 Tropical Marine Biology (Including Placement Year),
MSCIBB97 Tropical Marine Biology (Including Year Abroad)
This module aims to show how ecosystems function, how they are structured and which organisms do what.
The aim of this module is:
- To show how ecosystems function, how they are structured and which organisms do what.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Describe and discuss the role of genetic diversity in ecosystem functioning.
- Define and discuss the processes of predation, parasitism, competition and mutualism.
- Describe and discuss species interactions in natural communities and ecosystems and how interactions support ecosystem functions.
- Describe and discuss distribution and abundance at the community level, including global patterns of biodiversity.
- Describe and discuss genes-to-ecosystem approaches to understanding environmental change.
- Show competence in (a) analysis and interpretation of quantitative data (b) in written communication (c) in using web-based resources for learning.
`Biodiversity` is the variability in life itself, covering all levels of biological organisation from genes to entire ecosystems. Ecologists now have the tools to embrace this all-encompassing philosophy and use genes-to-ecosystem approaches to understand how environmental change is impacting the world around us.
This module will discuss and explore variability at the genetic level, before scaling across levels of organisation to cover species diversity, regulators of population growth, size and interactions (competition, predation, herbivory, mutualism, disease and parasitism), and then begin investigating how these combine to form communities and how the properties of ecological networks support the functioning of ecosystems. We will explore these patterns across local, regional and global scales, and discuss applications of ecological theory to problems of environmental change and conservation solutions.
This module will be delivered via:
- One 1-hour lecture per week.
- One revision class before the summer exam.
- Two 3-hour practicals or equivalent
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Prac 1 Worksheet - Species Diversity |
|
40% |
| Coursework |
Prac 2 Worksheet - Biodiversity |
|
60% |
| Exam |
Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Alex Dumbrell, email: adumb@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Alex Dumbrell
School Undergraduate Office, email: bsugoffice (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
Yes
No
No
Dr Cees Van Der Land
Newcastle University
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 19 hours, 10 (52.6%) hours available to students:
9 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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