UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

SCIENCE 11 – Living Systems: Concepts and Dynamics

1st Semester AY2018-2019

COURSE GUIDE

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Living systems are complex systems with particular characteristics and which exhibit specific
processes. A human being is a living system that interact with other living systems and which
is part of larger ecosystems. We affect our environment by our actions just as much as
changes in the environment affect us. Many of our actions have led to the destruction of
habitats of other living systems, thus leading to biodiversity loss, which have serious
implications. This course aims to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the
interactions within and between living systems, and their significance.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing this course, you should be able to —

1) Relate the underlying concepts and principles of living systems with those in other
disciplines;
2) Analyze the interactions within and among entities in living systems; and
3) Utilize scientific inquiry, critical, creative and integrative thinking in making informed
decisions on issues concerning living systems and their environments.

COURSE OUTLINE

The course covers the following topics:

Module 1 - Perspectives on Living Systems

Topic 1 - Living Systems in Oral Traditions
Topic 2 - Living Systems from Antiquity to the Renaissance
Topic 3 - Living Systems in the 19th and 20th Century

Module 2 - Living Systems from the Biological Perspective

Topic 1 - Hierarchies of Living Systems
Topic 2 - Properties of Living Systems

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Module 3 - Productivity in Living Systems
Topic 1 - Energy Flow
Topic 2 - Biogeochemical Cycles

Module 4 - Cycles and Patterns

Topic 1 - Reproductive Cycles
Topic 2 - Patterns in Living Systems

Module 5 - Population Dynamics

Topic 1 - Demographic Factors
Topic 2 - Population Growth
Topic 3 - Population Regulation

Module 6 - Changes in Populations Over Time

Topic 1 - The Gene Pool
Topic 2 - The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Topic 3 - Factors that Change Populations Over Time

Module 7 - Ecosystems as Complex Systems

Topic 1 - Parameters of Complex Systems
Topic 2 - Measures of Complexity in an Ecosystem
Topic 3 - Concepts of Adaptation, Survival, and Extinction in Other Disciplines

Module 8 - Biodiversity
Topic 1 - Levels of Biodiversity
Topic 2 - Biodiversity Attributes and Ecosystems Processes
Topic 3 - Measuring and Monitoring Biodiversity Using Surrogate Species
Topic 4 - Biodiversity Hotspots

Module 9 - Sustaining Living Systems

Topic 1 - Biodiversity Conservation
Topic 2 - Other Approaches to Natural Resource Management

Module 10 - Health and Wellness as Ecosystem Services

Topic 1 - Ecosystem Services
Topic 2 - Provisioning for Nutrition and Food Security
Topic 3 - Regulating Services that Impact on Health

COURSE MATERIALS

The learning materials for each module consists of required readings and a module study
guide. These will be accessible to you via the SCIENCE 11 course site on your campus’s
virtual learning environment (VLE). The required readings are listed below.

NOTE: Your teacher may specify other required readings and learning resources.

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Module 1 - Perspectives on Living Systems
• UNESCO. (2010). Online Course on Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future.
Activity 4 “Living by Indigenous Knowledge”. Available at http://www.unesco.org/
education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod11.html?panel=1#top
• Hidalgo, MP. (2018). Background reading on Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, and
Practices and Environmental Movements
• History of Biology: Advances to the 20th Century. In Rogers, K; Green, ER and Joshi, SH.
(2018) Biology, Encyclopedia Brittanica. Available at https://www.britannica.com/
science/biology#ref48843.
• Meadows, DH. (1999) Systems Thinking and Sustainability Lecture (Parts 1, 2, and 3).
Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMmChiLZZHg

Module 2 - Living Systems from the Biological Perspective

• Meadows, DH. (2008). Thinking in Systems: A Primer. London: Earthscan. Available at
http://wtf.tw/ref/meadows.pdf

Module 3 - Energy Flow and Biogeochemical Cycles

• The Flow of Energy: Primary Production to Higher Trophic Levels. (2017). In Global
Change - Science of Sustainability. University of Michigan. Available at https://
globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/kling/energyflow/
energyflow.html
• Campbell, NA; Reece, JB; Urry, LA; Cain, ML; Wasserman, SA; Minorsky, PV; and
Jackson, RB. (2008). Chapter 55 - Ecosystems. In Campbell Biology, 8th ed. Pearson
Publishing, pp. 1222-1244.
• Reece, JB; Urry, LA; Cain, ML; Wasserman, SA; Minorsky, PV; and Jackson, RB.
(2011). Chapter 55 - Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology . In Campbell Biology, 9th ed.
Pearson Publishing, pp. 1264-1283.

Module 4 - Cycles and Patterns

• Selvarajoo, K. (2013). Interpreting the Dynamics and Patterns of Living Systems.
BioScience. Vol. 63, No. 9 (September 2013), pp. 721-722. Available at https://
academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/63/9/721/260600
• Campbell, NA; Reece, JB; Mitchell, LG; and Taylor, MR. (2003). Campbell Biology:
Concepts and Connection, 4th ed. Benjamin Cummings. (selected chapters)
• Wilson, EO and Holldobler, B. (2005). Eusociality: origin and consequences. PNAS
102(38): 13367-13371. Available at http://www.pnas.org/content/102/38/13367
• Various online resources on cycles and patterns in living systems (refer to the module
study guide)

Module 5 - Population Dynamics

• Dupo, ALB. (2016). Dynamics in population. UP Talks. 100 Master Voices. Available at
http://tvup.ph/?p=3935
• Khan Academy. Life tables, survivorship, & age-sex structure. Available at https://
www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/population-ecology/a/life-tables-

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 survivorship-age-sex-structure
• Cuevas, V. (2016). Population regulation. UP Talks. 100 Master Voices. Available at
http://tvup.ph/?p=3934
• Khan Academy. Population regulation. Available at https://www.khanacademy.org/
science/biology/ecology/population-growth-and-regulation/a/mechanisms-of-population-
regulation
• Bongaarts, J. (2009). Human population growth and the demographic transition. Philos
Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 Oct 27; 364(1532): 2985–2990. Available at https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781829/
• Khan Academy. (2014, April 28). Demographic transition (video file). Available at https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P2bsPWCRvM
• LeeLee. (2012, October 12). Manila - 20 million and rising (video file). Available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuDDvYhmCTE
• Khan Academy. (2014, April 27). Population dynamics (video file). Available at https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CAQN-nc8Ac
• Bozeman Science. (2015, October 1). Population ecology (ecology file). Available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ-CQ3CQE3g

Module 6 - Changes in Populations Over Time

• Campbell, NA; Reece, JB; Mitchell, LG; and Taylor, MR. (2003). Sections 13.6 to 13.21.
Campbell Biology: Concepts and Connection, 4th ed. Benjamin Cummings.

Module 7 - Ecosystems as Complex Systems

• Complex Environmental Systems Lab (2014). Ecological complexity. Available at http://
complexity.ok.ubc.ca/about/ecological-complexity/
• Anand, M; Gonzalez, A; Guichard, F; Kolasa, J and Parrott, L. (2010). Ecological
systems as complex systems: Challenges for an emerging science. Diversity, 2, 395-410.
• Parrott, L. (2010). Measuring ecological complexity. Ecological Indicators, 10, 1069–
1076.
• Loehle, C. (2004). Challenges of ecological complexity. Ecological Complexity, 1(1), 3-6.

Module 8 - Biodiversity
• Biodiversity BC. 2007. Ecological concepts, principles and application to conservation.
Retrieved 12 Jan 2018,from http://www.biodiversitybc.org/EN/main/where/131.html
• Tubbataha Youth Ambassador. 2014. Module 1: Ecology and biodiversity basics.
Retrieved 08 Jan 2018 from http://tubbatahareef.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/
2014/09/Module-One-Ecology-and-Biodiversity-Basics2.pdf
• Andelman, S.J., and W.F. Fagan. 2000. Umbrellas and flagships: Efficient conservation
surrogates or expensive mistakes? PNAS 97(11):5954-5959. doi: 10.1073/pnas.100126797
• Marchese, C. 2015. Biodiversity hotspots: A shortcut for a more complicated concept.
Global Ecology and Conservation 3:297-309.
• Conservation International. 2005. CI facts: biodiversity hotspots. Retrieved 13 Jan
2018,from http://www.cnrs.fr/inee/recherche/fichiers/Biodiversite_hotspots.pdf
• Millenium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and human well-being: biodiversity
synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. pp. 2-10.

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Module 9 - Sustaining Living Systems
• Asaad, I., Lundquist, C. J., Erdmann, M. V., Costello, M. J. 2017. Ecological criteria to
identify areas for biodiversity conservation. Biological Conservation, 213: 309-316.
• Congress of the Philippines. 1992. Republic Act No. 7586, An act providing for the
establishment and management of national integrated areas system, defining its scope and
coverage, ang for other purposes (Section 1 to Section 4).
• UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. 2016. Protected Planet Report 2016. UNEP-WCMC and
IUCN: Cambridge UK and Gland, Switzerland (pages 1-50)
• Ambal, R.G.R., Duya, M.V., Cruz, M.A., et al. 2012. Key biodiversity areas in the
Philippines: priorities for conservation. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4(8): 2788-2796.
• Hooland, R.A., Darwall, W.R.T, Smith, K.G. 2012. Conservation priorities for freshwater
biodiversity: The key biodiversity area approach refined and tested for continental Africa.
Biological conservation, 148: 167-179.
• Stucki, V., Smith, M. 2011. Integrated approaches to natural resources management in
practice: The catalyzing role of national adaptation programmes for action. Ambio,
40:351-360

Module 10 - Health and Wellness as Ecosystem Services

• World Health Organization and Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
(2015). Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health. A State of
Knowledge Review. Available at https://www.cbd.int/health/SOK-biodiversity-en.pdf
• Conceptual Framework Working Group of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
(2003). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A framework for assessment. World
Resources Institute. Available at http://pdf.wri.org/ecosystems_human_wellbeing.pdf

STUDY SCHEDULE

The table below shows in which weeks and sessions specific modules will be taken up. There
are usually two sessions per week. The third column shows the learning activities for each
module. Note that you are expected to go through the module study guide and read the
required readings/learning resources for each topic BEFORE the class session where
these will be taken up through a class discussion or other learning activities. Specific dates
for specific activities, including assignment deadlines, will be set by your teacher.

Week and Session Module/Topic Activities

Number
Week 1 Course Orientaton Checking of class list; explanation of
syllabus and requirements; instructions
Session 1 on how to access module study guides
and readings on the SCIENCE 11
course site on the VLE

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Week 2 Module 1 - Perspectives on Before the class session
Living Systems Independent study of the module study
Sessions 2 & 3 guide and required readings

In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Week 3 Module 2 - Living Systems Before the class session
from the Biological Independent study of the module study
Sessions 4 & 5 Perspective guide and required readings

In-class
Video presentation
Discussion of key concepts
Week 4 Module 3 - Energy and Before the class session
Biogeochemical Cycles Independent study of the module study
Sessions 6 & 7 (Productivity in Living guide and required readings
Systems)
In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Workshop: Who is eating whom?
Activity: My own biogeochemical cycle
Group report on an altered
biogeochemical cycle
Week 5 1st Long Exam
Week 6 Module 4 - Cycles and Before the class session
Patterns Independent study of the module study
Sessions 8 & 9 guide and required readings

In-class
Video presentation
Discussion of key concepts
Week 7 Module 5 - Population Before the class session
Dynamics Independent study of the module study
Sessions 10 & 11 guide and required readings

In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Exercises: graphing population growth,
plotting the survivorship curve

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Week 8 Module 6 - Changes in Before the class session
Populations Over Time Independent study of the module study
Sessions 12 & 13 guide and required readings

In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Problem sets
Simulations
Thought experiment
Week 9 2nd Long Exam
Week 10 Module 7 - Ecosystems as Before the class session
Complex Systems Independent study of the module study
Sessions 14 & 15 guide and required readings

In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Case analysis
Weeks 11-12 Module 8 - Biodiversity Before the class session
Independent study of the module study
Sessions 16, 17 & guide and required readings
18
In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Outdoor observation
Problem tree building

Assignment
Development of IEC materials
Weeks 12-13 Module 9 - Sustaining Before the class session
Living Systems Independent study of the module study
Sessions 19, 20 & guide and required readings
21
In-class
Discussion of key concepts and cases

Assignment
Case study of a protected area

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 Week 14 Module 10 - Health and Before the class session
Wellness as Ecosystem Independent study of the module study
Sessions 22 & 23 Services guide and required readings

In-class
Discussion of key concepts
Data analysis
Week 15 Presentation of Assignments
Week 16 3rd Long Exam/Final Exam

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Your grade in this course will be based on your performance in the following:

1. Three long exams (including the final exam)

2. Assignments: IEC material, case study
3. Participation in in-class group work and/or exercises
4. Class attendance and participation in discussion

Long Exams
(brief description — e.g. the exam scope and type, weight relative to final grade)

Assignments
(brief description)

In-class group work and exercises

These will vary per module. Instructions are given in the module study guides. Your
instructor may modify activities in class.

Participation in discussion
Required readings and other learning resources as well as the results of learning activities
will be discussed in class. Be sure to study the required readings and other learning resources
before coming to class.

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