BI 103M - General Biology: Biodiversity and Sustainability

1. Apply scientific inquiry to biological sciences. Understand government use and misuse of science.
2. Describe the steps involved in scientific inquiry and distinguish between a hypothesis and a theory.
3. Evaluate and critique scientific information from various sources (government, environmentalist, industry) for scientific reliability and validity.
4. Engage in logical methodology and communicate via mathematical and graphical models.
5. Describe the phylogenetic relationships among organisms and arrange them on a phylogenetic tree. 
6. Describe natural selection and speciation and be able to describe the evolution of a novel trait/species.
7. Compare and contrast historical evolutionary changes and modern anthropogenic changes. 
8. Relate the structure of phylogenetic trees to the history of biological evolution.
9. Describe the ecosystematic roles of organisms, populations and communities. 
10. Diagram the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems and explain how this relates to the sustainability of the ecosystem. 
11. Evaluate selective advantages of various organismal interactions. 
12. Relate patterns of population growth (both wild and human) to ecosystem dynamics. 
13. Define sustainable resource use and describe the role of humans in ecosystems. 
14. Describe human reliance on the natural world, anthropogenic threats to natural systems. 
15. Relate poverty, education, equitability and tolerance to sustainability. 
16. Explain the damage done by invasive exotics, deforestation, pollution and desertification. 
17. Make accurate measurements and be proficient at using biological tools such as microscopes, pipettes, etc.