BI1EC12-Exploiters and Exploited

Module Provider: School of Biological Sciences
Number of credits: 20 [10ECTS credits]
Terms in which taught: Autumn and Spring
Module Convenor: Dr PE Hatcher
Pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2008/9

Email: p.e.hatcher@reading.ac.uk

Aims:
To present the diversity of living organisms through a series of topics based around organisms that either exploit or are exploited by humankind. This will introduce not only many of the important groups of organisms but essential topics to biology, including, the nature of species, classification, ideas of nature and conservation, biodiversity, natural selection, the nature of the historical and fossil record, types of biological interaction including competition and parasitism.
This module aims to be accessible to students from a wide variety of backgrounds, including those with little formal biological training.

Assessable learning outcomes:
1. To appreciate the diversity of organisms which have been exploited by Man or exploit him
2. To appreciate and demonstrate the importance of historical knowledge in biology and the problems with the historical record and its interpretation
3. To demonstrate development of thinking about three key concepts: nature, conservation, and biodiversity, which are widely discussed but whose definition is complex and continuously changing
4. To be able to demonstrate, compare and contrast, the role of natural and artificial selection in arriving at the exploited and exploiter organisms we have today, and to be able to describe the characters that have been selected by these means
5. To be able to demonstrate why these organisms either became a benefit or hindrance to man, and to be able to describe the different relationships between organisms demonstrated here: e.g., symbiosis, mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism, saprophytism
6. To be able to describe approaches to the description and classification of organisms (evolutionary, habitat-based, relationship to Man) and to discuss the importance of accurate identification and taxonomy in the history of these organisms’ relationship with man
7. To be able to describe the range of unintentional problems that have arisen during these organisms’ interaction with man

Additional outcomes:
• Ethical and practical issues concerned with Man’s relationship with other creatures
• Development of independent learning/e-learning skills and abilities to synthesize biological knowledge into socially relevant material.

Outline content:
Autumn term (Exploited)
Week
1 Sargasso Sea bioprospecting (NHB)
2 Cephalopods (PEH)
3 Bees (PEH)
4 Silk (PEH)
5 Sugar Cane (NHB)
6 Yeasts (NHB)
7 Grape Vine (NHB)
8 Salmon (PEH)
9 European Forests (NHB)
10 Rabbit (PEH)

Spring term (Exploiters)
Week
1 Mosquitoes & Malaria (PEH)
2 Biofouling (PEH)
3 Bracken (NHB)
4 Locusts (PEH)
5 Rats, Fleas & Plague (PEH)
6 Nematodes (NHB)
7 Red Kites (PEH)
8 Wolves (PEH)
9 Parasitic Plants (NHB)

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Each term will contain 10 x 2hr lectures and 3 x 2hr practicals. BlackBoard site with further reading, and formative assessments.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	20	20
Tutorials/seminars	2	2
Practicals	6	6
Other contact (eg study visits)
Total hours	28	28
Number of essays or assignments	1	1
Other (eg major seminar paper)

Assessment:
Coursework
Formative: Structured worksheets will be provided in practical demonstrations. These will be self-marked by students from model answers supplied afterwards on BlackBoard, with follow-up from staff in further practicals
Summative: 1 essay per term, 2000 words, 15% of total marks per essay, marks will be allocated to the second essay for improvement over the first. In term one essay on Chicken, cod or legumes, in Spring term on aquatic weeds, soil invertebrates and badgers.
Relative percentage of coursework: 30%
Penalties for late submission
In accordance with University policy.
Examinations
2hr, essay-based, in examination period
Requirements for a pass
A mark of 40% overall.
Reassessment arrangements
Re-examination in August/September only.