Behavioural Ecology in natural and man-made environments

This course explores behavioral ecology in the context of a rapidly changing world

Part I: Major concepts of behavioral ecology, including homeostasis, communication, movement, foraging, learning, sociality, interspecific interactions, and parental care, will first be introduced, and then the effects of human-mediated stressors (climate change, acidification, eutrophication, habitat fragmentation, pollution, artificial light, invasive species, urbanization …) on that specific concept will be examined in turn.

Part II: We will focus on the relationship human-animal and assess the direct impacts of humans on animal behavior, addressing themes such as human-wildlife conflict, animal welfare, conservation and domestication. Particular emphasis will be placed on how our interactions with animals influence their behavior and on strategies to mitigate our impacts

• Introduce the foundational concepts of behavioral ecology, such as homeostasis, communication, movement, foraging, learning, sociality, interspecific interactions, and parental care, while examining how different human-mediated stressors shape these behaviors.
• Analyze behavioral strategies from both proximate (mechanistic) and ultimate (evolutionary) perspectives, with a focus on how species adapt or fail to adapt to a rapid changing world
• Investigate learning and plasticity as mechanisms that allow animals to cope with novel and shifting conditions, and evaluate their role in resilience to global change.
• Explore human-animal relationships and their effect on animal behavior, with attention to human-wildlife conflict, animal welfare, and domestication.
• Promote a scientific approach to animal welfare and conservation, emphasizing how behavioral responses can serve as indicators of stress, well-being, and long-term viability in a human-dominated world.
• Develop an integrated perspective on animal behavior by linking its evolutionary and developmental foundations to its ecological, societal, and economic relevance under global change.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

Students are expected to have basic knowledge of ecology and animal behavior, typically acquired during a bachelor’s program in biology, bioengineering, or a related field

theory: lectures
practical excercise: in-depth exploring and presenting a topic related to animal behavior in a changing world

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

powerpoint slides

Contacts

Pr Thomas Parmentier
thomas.parmentier@ulb.be

Campus

Plaine

Method(s) of evaluation

• Oral examination
• Other

Oral examination

Other

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

theory: 80%
practical work: 20%

Language(s) of evaluation

• english
• (if applicable french )