Ecology and Fieldwork

6 ECTS credits
155 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1010115ANR for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences

Department

Biology

Educational team

Tom Van der Stocken (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

13 contact hours Lecture
52 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
13 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

LECTURES (HOC)

During the HOC, the building blocks, the biota, the conditions and resources, the trophic levels, the guilds, the social relations, etc. are thoroughly discussed, theoretically and with practical, recognizable examples. Different chapters include:

• Subject of the ecology and historical background: e.g. definition of ecology, ecological hierarchy, habitat and biotope, biotic and abiotic factors, weather and climate, time and succession, subdivision of the ecology, type of processes (deterministic, stochastic, random), inductive-deductive, equilibrium.

• Conditions and resources: e.g. tolerance, ecological niche (fundamental and realized), ecological niche models, temperature (homeotherm, poikilotherm, endothermic, ectotherm), pH, salinity, solar radiation (systematic and non-systematic variation).

• Population ecology: e.g. population size, distribution, migration, population dynamics.

• Interactions between populations: e.g. competition, predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, competitive exclusion, niche differentiation, plankton paradox, Lota-Volterra model.

• Community and ecosystem ecology: including primary and secondary production, trophic level, trophic chain, food web, keystone species, trophic cascade, biomass, Eltonian pyramid, energy flows, carrying capacity, alternative stable states.

EXCURSION

The OO includes a multi-day excursion (e.g., northern France, 'site des 2 caps', infralittoral to dune ecosystem) in which important aspects of the ecology are explained, and students become acquainted and gain experience in carrying out field work.

PRACTICALS (WPO)

The practicals are geared to the excursion. On the one hand, it is a preparation for the excursion. Experiments for the excursion are prepared, a preliminary species knowledge is taught, and material from the excursion area is observed and identified taxonomically, biogeographically, and trophically. After the excursion, the observations, measurements and analyzes are elaborated in group reports with information provided during the practicals. During the practicals, the region of the excursion is also outlined geographically, historically, and ecologically. During the practicals, the necessary terminology is also explained with attention to (1) the scientific approach, (2) scientific writing, but also (3) ecological definitions. Throughout the practicals, a number of scientific texts are introduced, ranging from Dutch-language, popularizing articles to English-language, scientific literature.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Lecture slides and supporting articles., Canvas
Handbook (Recommended) : Ecology, From individuals to ecosystems, Begon M. & Townsend C. R., 5th edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2021

Additional info

Study material

Digital course material (Required): Powerpointslides and supporting articles (available on CANVAS)
Handbook (Recommended): Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, 5th Edition, Begon, M. & Townsend, C. R., 2021.

Additional information

A financial contribution is requested for the excursion (in 2023 this was €200*).

*This is a target amount; this requested contribution may vary from year to year depending on market prices.

Learning Outcomes

General competences

Competences
The objective of the OO in question is an analysis, a disaggregation, a categorization of the ecosystem, (a) according to a trophic and functional analysis, (b) according to a spatial analysis (scale, boundaries, and ecotones), and (c) according to a taxonomic characterization (the latter is of secondary importance here and only a tool for source research on species in question).

This OO explicitly contributes to various learning outcomes of the Bachelor of Biology program (see DLR codes). The student who attentively attends the various parts of this OO and studies its contents thoroughly and insightfully:

Can break down an ecosystem into its parts, name those parts correctly, and examine the relationship between the parts – DLR 1.
Can make an ecosystem or part of it descriptive and measurable, by delineating and naming its various components – DLR 1.
Acquires an understanding of methodology, analytical techniques and data analysis in biological research – DLR 5 en 7.
Can formulate a research problem and develop hypotheses under supervision, within a scientific context – DLR 3 en 4.
Can set up an experiment within a scientific context under supervision, selecting and applying appropriate methods/techniques, working accurately and correctly analyzing, synthesizing and interpreting results – DLR 3, 5 en 7.
Acquires insight into performing field and lab work independently – DLR 6.
Acquires experience with reporting information, ideas, problems and solutions within the discipline – DLR 9.
Can work constructively and problem-driven in a team – DLR 10.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 50% of the final mark.
PRAC Practical Assignment determines 50% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral Examination with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Note: See Additional info on evaluation.

Within the PRAC Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:

WPO Practical assignment with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 50% of the final mark.

Note: See Additional info on evaluation.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The final grade is determined based on two partial grades: (1) the HOC Examination Oral during the sitting for 50%, and (2) the evaluation of the various components within the WPO Practical Assignment for 50%, where both components must each be > 8/20 to apply this calculation (otherwise the lower grade of the two components will be given). To pass the WPO Practical Assignment category, at least a 10/20 must be obtained for the WPO Practical Assignment oral exam. The exam can be taken only by students who participated in the excursion.

The WPO Practical Assignment category includes:

Oral examination on the content of the WPO Practical Assignment, with weighting factor 0.5 within the WPO Practical Assignment.
Excursion and report, permanent evaluation, and written test regarding species knowledge, with a combined weighting factor 0.5 within the WPO Practical Assignment:
- Excursion and report. This section assesses students based on their participation and effort during field trips, as well as the quality of and commitment to the subsequent field trip report. Assessment criteria include, but are not limited to, relevance of content, correct scientific methods and writing style, peer review, and effective incorporation of information from WPOs, the field trips, and literature.
- Continuous evaluation.
- Written test related to species knowledge.

Participation in the practicals (WPO) is compulsory. Incomplete participation in the practicals will result in a reduction of the mark for this section. Unauthorised absence from practicals will automatically result in refused participation in the examination and thus a 0/20 for the WPO section.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context