Syllabus
P1 Static models in biology – curve fitting, elementary and other functions used in biological and ecological models.
P2. Curve fitting, fitting of functions in EXCEL.
P3. Exponential model of one species population dynamics, its analytical solution and computer simulation.
P4. Interactive lecture - discussion of P1-P3.
P5. Basic continuous models of population dynamics of an isolated species: exponential growth, analytical solution, numerical simulation.
P6. More complex continuous and discrete models of population dynamics of an isolated species; analysis of the stability of their equilibrium points; simulation of their behavior on a computer and estimation of their parameters.
P7. From population to metapopulation - basic concepts and models. Connectivity in the landscape. possibilities of nature protection in a mosaic environment. Metapopulation dynamics of the predator-prey system on the example of aphids and their predators.
P8. Interactive lecture, discussion P5-P7.
P9. Inclusion of age structure in the model: Leslie's model of population dynamics of an isolated species.
P10. Models of population dynamics of the predator-prey system and two competing species, simulation of their dynamics on a computer.
P11. Tilman's resource-consumer models. Application of predator-prey models in biological pest control.
P12. Island biogeography and its application in the metapopulation context and in nature conservation (SLOSS). Factors influencing species diversity; species-area and species-abundance relationships.
P13. Empirical examples of metapopulation dynamics: the ladybug-aphid system. Population dynamics of insect pests in time and space and factors that affect it - a specific case of a bark beetle in Šumava.
P14. Interactive lecture, discussion P9-P13.
Annotation
The course acquaints students
- with basic models and approaches used for analysis of the dynamics of one or more populations (metapopulation dynamics),
- with the impact of spatial aspects (landscape composition, spatial distribution of individual populations) on biodiversity in the landscape
- with the application of these theories in biological pest control and nature conservation.