Introduction:

Agro ecology encompasses many diverse interests and emerging problems, including the need to address growing pest and weed control problems, protect farmworker health, reduce pressure on supporting natural resources, ameliorate environmental impacts of agricultural operations and promote sustainable agricultural production. This course is aimed at study of agricultural organisms, populations, communities, and their interactions at a systems level, in order to determine how ecological principles operate in an agricultural context. A comparison will be made of ecological and evolutionary processes in agricultural and natural ecosystems, and use of these comparisons to understand the major similarities and differences between agricultural and natural ecosystems.It will also emphasize the combining ecological principles with agronomic practice to manage agricultural systems for sustainable production, improved resource conservation, and minimized environmental impact.

Learning outcomes:

1. Study of agricultural organisms, populations, communities, and their interactions at a systems level, in order to determine how ecological principles operate in an agricultural context.
2. Comparison of ecological and evolutionary processes in agricultural and natural ecosystems, and use of these comparisons to understand the major similarities and differences between agricultural and natural ecosystems.
3. Combining ecological principles with agronomic practice to manage agricultural systems for sustainable production, improved resource conservation, and minimized environmental impact.