Skip to content
Skip to main content

About this free course

Download this course

Share this free course

Introduction to ecosystems
Introduction to ecosystems

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

6 Summary of Week 2

In this look back at the week, Dr David Robinson from The Open University discusses what you have learned so far in this course. The next week focuses on the adaptations of animals to the challenges posed by different types of ecosystems.

Download this video clip.Video player: eco_1_openlearn_2_16_summary_of_week_2.mp4
Copy this transcript to the clipboard
Print this transcript
Show transcript|Hide transcript
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Woodlands are a good example of an intricate and complex ecosystem and you have now seen that there is a fascinating web of relationships beneath the ground that forms the wood-wide web. Above the ground there are animals that are well adapted to glide through the trees and you explored the comparisons between the adaptations of squirrels, colugos and bats.

Next week we’ll be looking at ecosystems in different parts of the world, and in particular, how some organisms survive in extreme conditions through physiological adaptations. Understanding physiological adaptations is part of the process of making sense of ecosystems. Examples will be taken from extreme habitats – deserts and the polar regions.

If you would like a short break, or to find out more about studying with The Open University, take alook at our online prospectus [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

You can now go to Week 3.