NBIK15007U Advanced Ecology

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Biology
MSc Programme in Agriculture

Content

A high-level introduction to ecological and evolutionary processes, including trophic interactions and within- and between-species interactions.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Ecological and evolutionary processes
  • Key concepts, theories and hypotheses in ecology and evolutionary biology
  • The spatial and temporal distribution of species and organisms
  • The biology of bacteria, fungi, protists, plants and animals of importance to ecosystem function and/or which are typical of different environments
  • The function of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and their interaction with local, regional and/or global systems, including global change
  • Conversion of energy and matter in ecosystems, mediated by organisms
  • Practical and societal aspects of knowledge in ecology and evolution

 

Skills:

  • Hypothesize, independently formulate and conduct empirical studies/experiments, in the field and in the laboratory, and explain, communicate and put into perspective a scientific problem, both orally and in writing
  • Use relevant experimental techniques, methods of quantification and equipment, both in the field and in the laboratory, including the competences required to evaluate the complexity of the data collected, sources of error and methodological uncertainties
  • Summarise a research subject using original scientific literature as the basis
  • Use quantitative, including statistical, methods of relevance to the subject area

 

Competences:

  • Understand and present the structure and function of complex ecosystems
  • Manage, advice on, and conduct research into ecosystems, based on in-depth biological knowledge
  • Illustrate and analyse a biological phenomenon by distinguishing between immediate (how?) and evolutionary (why?) causes and explanations
  • Explain and discuss the distribution and density of species on both a local, regional and global scale
  • Explain the important physical, chemical and biological characteristics of different ecosystems, and understand how organisms adapt and respond to changes in them
  • Analyse the occurrence and activity of organisms in relation to the physical/chemical environment
  • Explain and discuss the evolutionary adaptations of organisms to a given environment and their behaviour in relation to/response to both members of the same species and individuals of other species
  • Evaluate interactions between individuals at different trophic levels, e.g. plants/herbivores, prey/predators, and host organisms/​parasites/​mutualists/​diseases

See Absalon

Teaching will follow two main lines:
- Code-based teaching will involve visits to one or a few locations and investigate them using relevant methods. We will investigate water, soil, biotic communities (plants, fauna, microbes etc.) and processes in the field and subsequentlig during laboratory work.
- Concurrently, question-driven teaching will focus on the theory of ecological, behavioural, and evolutionary principles and will consist of lectures, seminars, and computer-based exercises.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 15
  • Exam
  • 30
  • Excursions
  • 8
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 73
  • Project work
  • 50
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 2 hours under invigilation
Oral examination, 15 minutes
Evaluation based on written multiple choice exam and oral group presentation of essay work (15 minutes per group member). The written and the oral exams each contribute 50% of the final grade. The written and the oral exams must be passed separately. The written and the oral exams need not to be passed in the same exam period.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed

Books, exercise instructions, articles used in class, calculator, tablet, computer. Internet is not allowed.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

The essay may be reused in the reexamination.

Criteria for exam assesment

The highest grade is given to students with an excellent performance, displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material, with no or only a few minor weaknesses.