Course description for 2026/27
Ecosystem Resilience
BIO5034
Course description for 2026/27
Ecosystem Resilience
BIO5034
In this course we try to understand how ecosystems are changing under pressure and what keeps ecosystems, their communities and food webs stable. We will work on the theoretical basis of ecosystem resilience and discuss the most recent findings of ecosystem stability. In addition, we will use case studies to link the properties of an ecosystem with nature management approaches based on your own experience or studies.
Resilience theory addresses whether, and how fast, an ecosystem will recover from damage and is being widely adpoted in environmental policymaking. Climate change is affecting all ecosystems around the globe and especially the high north experiences climate warming above the global average. At the same time these ecosystems harbour a diverse flora and fauna that provides food, income and other benefits (ecosystem services) to society. These natural resources are harvested or cultivated, which comes along with disturbance or even destruction of natural environments. How an ecosystem will respond to the various pressures and disturbances depends on an understanding of ecological fields such as disturbance ecology, succession, trophic ecology and population genetics.
Students qualified for admission to MSc in Biosciences are eligible for this course.
On successful completion of the course:
Knowledge
The candidate
- Has advanced knowledge on theories about ecosystem resilience and stability as well as related subjects such as disturbance theory, succession, food web structure, ecosystem functioning and management approaches
- Has specialized insights in resilience and stability of ecosystems of relevance to their specialisation
- Can apply the knowledge to new aspects within the research field
Skills
The candidate
- Can critically analyse scientific information and debate it in a group using scholarly arguments
- Can analyse existing theories about ecosystem resilience and independently apply knowledge to scientific and practical problems
General Competence
The candidate
- Can communicate about scientific findings and conclusions to audiences with various backgrounds
- Can critically reflect alone and in a group on scientific findings and carry out independent and advanced project work
- Masters the terminology used in the field of ecosystem dynamics research
No costs except semester registration fee and syllabus literature.
Elective: MSc in Biosciences
The course combines lectures, seminars, group work and individual study. Active participation in lectures is encouraged.
The study program is evaluated by the students each semester by means of course and study program surveys. The evaluations are part of Nord University’s quality assurance system for education.
Compound evaluation, grading scale Letter grades A-F.
- Portfolio, comprises 30/100 of the grade, grading scale Letter grades.
- Oral Exam, comprises 70/100 of the grade, grading scale Letter grades.
Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:
BI313F - Ecosystem Resilience - 5 credits
Credits
7.5
Study location
Bodø, Steinkjer
Teaching semesters
Spring 2026
Responsible faculty
Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture
Course coordinator
