Biodiversity: survival in a changing world
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Adaptation and natural selection reveal how the biodiversity of Earth’s life forms survive on our ever-changing planet, across vastly differing habitats and time scales. Through an extensive range of examples, from animals and plants to algae and fungi, you’ll explore many aspects of whole-organism biology, including physiology, behaviour, ecology and evolution. You’ll gain essential fieldwork, computational, and investigative biology skills with practical activities embedded throughout the module. You’ll also examine real-world case studies, learning about conservation efforts and co-existence strategies to minimise human impacts on our shared natural world.
What you will study
First, you’ll cover the module’s underpinning biological concepts, themes and evolutionary terms. You’ll next examine your local biodiversity by observing and identifying species, then explore a simulation of how butterflies adapt to their changing surroundings. You’ll also learn how to safely and ethically conduct your practical activities and how we’ll assess your collected datasets before moving on to study distinct topic areas.
Biological connections
In this first topic, you’ll explore evolutionary relationships, interactions and communication. You’ll look at a range of organisms, from barnacles to dinosaurs, focusing on insects and flowering plants (including their phylogenetic classification). Through experiments and statistical analysis, you’ll test biological hypotheses, and interpret evolutionary relationships, helping develop your practical skills.
Movement and migration
In the next topic, you’ll learn about natural selection and adaptations associated with movement – on land, in air and in water. Highlights include the ecology and evolution of migratory behaviour, focusing on butterflies and birds. You’ll also explore the role of technology and artificial intelligence in understanding animal movement.
The role of fungi and algae
The third topic discusses ecological interactions, focusing on plants, algae and fungi. You’ll delve into the evolutionary origins, examine the role of mycorrhizal relationships in maintaining ecosystems, and consider lichens as pollution indicators. You’ll also discover the importance of nutrient acquisition and the energy flow of photosynthesis to the entire biosphere.
Feeding ecology and behaviour
Topic four describes energy flow and interactions between organisms in ecological communities. You’ll cover feeding strategies – predation and herbivory – including prey animals’ trade-offs that prioritise survival. You’ll learn techniques for measuring behaviour and apply these to video observations of Asian elephants feeding. Through case studies, you’ll see how understanding feeding behaviour can improve captive animal welfare and the success of conservation programmes.
Adaptations and evolution
This topic covers how organisms adapt to short-term environmental changes, as well as the larger-scale evolutionary processes that have led to the incredible diversity of life on our planet. You’ll further examine the links between the adaptive development of different organisms’ body structures and their importance for biological survival.
Life in water
In this next topic, you’ll explore the multitude of life forms in water, from microscopic plankton to massive blue whales. You’ll investigate the global distribution of marine life and the ecology and evolution of coastal and deep-ocean ecosystems.
Plant survival in extreme environments
Topic seven covers how plants cope with temperature fluctuations, salt concentration and water content, as they can’t move far to avoid human impacts and climate change. You’ll consider plant–water relationships by examining major physiological adaptations and their ecological implications.
Reproduction and disruption
This topic looks at the abilities and cost/benefit strategies many animals use to reproduce. These mechanisms are central to any species’ survival, as populations can only outlive their members through reproduction. Through sea turtle case studies, you’ll see how natural events, but increasingly human activities, disrupt the reproduction and survival of many species.
In the final topics, you’ll examine domestication and its impacts on the genetic diversity of crops and livestock, as well as other management and ethical dilemmas around captive breeding and re-wilding programmes. You’ll also explore ecosystem services, focusing on pollination: a vital process to the establishment, composition and conservation of diverse ecosystems across the globe.
You will learn
This module introduces you to and develops a range of skills relevant to the contemporary professional biologist. You will have opportunities to study different methods of collecting and using data, explore means of data visualisation with coding and statistical tools. You will increase your understanding of how to approach and consider biodiversity conservation practical problems and ethical dilemmas.
Key skills developed include:
- following the scientific process with hypothesis development and testing
- research study design, ethical and risk assessments
- carrying out fieldwork and online practicals
- data collection with simple computation, statistics and interpretation
- open-ended problem solving
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this module.
At 快猫视频, we believe education should be open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.
Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need appropriate knowledge of biology and basic mathematics obtained through:
- OU level 1 study
- equivalent work at another higher education institution.
Preparatory work
We recommend you’ve completed:
You’ll be able to access the module website 2-3 weeks before the module starts, so that you can learn to navigate the website and organise your study plan.
What's included
You will have access to a module website, which includes:
- A week-by-week study planner
- Course specific module materials
- Audio and video content
- Assignment details and submission section
- Online tutorial access
- Access to student and tutor group forums
You’ll also have access to the OpenSTEM labs, where you’ll complete some of your data collection.
You will need
- Ingredients to make dough (flour, water, 2 colours of food dye, preferably yellow and red)
- Basic outdoor clothing and footwear for fieldwork
- Note book for use as field/lab book
- Camera (camera phone or other)
- A calculator (or means of doing calculations)
Computing requirements
- Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
- Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
- Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
- Operating systems – Windows 11 or latest supported macOS. Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 as of 14 October 2025.
- Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
- Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended. Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.