Webinar: Biology (Ecosystems)

Session time: Wednesday 19 March, 11.10-11.55

In this Biology/Environmental Science session, Iain Barr, Professor of Field Ecology in the School of Biological Sciences at University of East Anglia, will run an interactive talk for students on Measuring Ecosystems.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi, microbes, etc.) interacting with each other and their physical environment (such as air, water, and soil) in a specific area. The interactions between living and physical factors form a system where energy flows and matter cycles. Ecosystems can vary in size, from a small pond to a large forest or even the entire planet.

In this session, we will consider ecosystems, ranging from a closed system like a terrarium to complex systems that are in constant flux or change, such as a coral reef or tropical forest, and assess why change is needed in systems to promote biodiversity.

We will also explore the services ecosystems provide to humans and how these services can be measured and evaluated. This leads to the need for ecosystems to be assessed by scientists in order to determine their ‘value’ metric. To measure an ecosystem, we can use the living organisms as indicators, with surveys and censuses conducted by scientists to assess biodiversity. We will explore the use of acoustics in measuring ecosystem complexity and consider what an ecosystem in poor condition and one in good condition might look and sound like. We will use sonograms, or visualisations of sounds on a screen, to observe how species can fit into an ecosystem acoustically as well as physically.

Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Biology/Environmental Science and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

For details and to book your place, visit: 
https://www.channeltalent.co.uk/event/biology-environmental-science-university-interactive-talk-on-ecosystems/