This module contains a sequence of activities designed for an undergraduate ecology lesson on stage-structured population models or life tables that use published data. Two versions are provided: Version A emphasizes stage-structured population models and asks students to construct matrix models using data from a common garden experiment with two locally-adapted subspecies the a biennial plant, Gilia capitata. Version B focuses on life tables and survivorship curves by comparing the Gilia capitata data with data on Bighorn sheep and Monk seals. Both versions contain an initial introductory activity and an optional follow-up activity in which students conduct a sensitivity analysis to determine effects of climate change (version A) or conservation scenarios (version B).

This interdisciplinary pedagogical case study focuses on differences between rural and urban coyotes at the levels of organismal and community ecology, including how their gut microbiomes could affect their behaviour. The health and fitness of rural and urban coyote populations vary dramatically with the latter being poor as a result of their consumption of carbohydrate-rich anthropogenic food, compared to a more natural protein-rich diet. This difference is associated with altered gut microbiome composition. The case explores how altered microbiomes can influence behavior changes through the gut-brain axis. Cross talk between the brain and gut microbiome involves multiple physiological systems including the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. This case showcases the interdisciplinary nature of science by having students explore the connection between these macro and micro-level systems. It is based on a manuscript by Sugden et al. (2020) supporting the existence of distinct gut microbiomes in rural and urban coyotes. Interdisciplinary connection - Immunology+Microbiology+Ecology+Animal Behavior

A lecture will be hosted by the educator. The first four sections cover factual information and in the activity students will draw conclusions about spore germination. The last section will highlight a scientist and current trends in mycology.