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Ecology


Semesterangivelse: Forårs kursus Kurset udbydes i blok 3 Kurset udbydes i skemagruppe A Kurset giver 7,5 ETCS point

 


Udgave: Forår 2013 NAT
ECTS points: 7,5
Punkter: 7,5
Point: 7,5
Blokstruktur: 3. blok
Skemagruppe: A
Institutter: Department of Biology
Uddannelsesdel: Kandidat niveau
Kontaktpersoner: Søren Christensen, Section for Terrestrial Ecology, phone 3532 2156, email: schristensen@bio.ku.dk
Andre undervisere: Helge Ro-Poulsen, Søren Rosendahl.
Undervisnings- form: Each of the weeks 1-7 include three lectures and class discussions (Monday 9-12), theoretical exercises, laboratory and field demonstrations (Tuesday 13-17), and a discussion class including student presentations (Friday 9-12).
Formål: The course teaches the mechanisms and processes governing the interactions between organisms and their environment as influenced by human activities. We take a system ecology approach and analyze systems starting at Global scale via the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on to the scale of the soil aggregate and water film (Theme I-IV). We characterize organism-environment interactions from the local level that involve single individuals via populations and communities towards their condition in global biomes (Theme V-VII). Along this range of scales students will work with climate change, land use change, sources and effects of eutrophication, xenobiotics, bio-indicators, arable farming and animal husbandry, production of bio-fuel, waste depositing, the urban environment, etc.
Indhold: The course deals with seven themes: I The functioning of the Globe and the three spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere); II Global climate change and land-use change, succession and invasion; III The terrestrial ecosystem at different scales from aggregate over landscape to region; diversity and functioning; IV the aquatic system from spring to ocean; V organisms and their environment, eutrophication and xenobiotics, VI Bioindication, how species disappear due to human disturbance, thresholds; VII Biomes and threats, stability, pool sizes, activity versus resistance and resilience.
Målbeskrivelse: Successful candidates from the course should become able to:
General
  • Device methods for evaluations of ecosystem functioning at the landscape and local scale, and use of indicators, e.g. for monitoring programs.
  • Be able to formulate aims and guiding principles for use and protection of ecosystems, their functioning and biotic composition.
  • Work quantitatively with ecosystem functioning, environmental impacts, and nature quality.
    Physical and chemical environment
  • Describe the three spheres of the Globe (atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere), including the climate system of the Globe regionally and globally.
  • Explain how conditions for exchange of biogenic greenhouse gases atmosphere – biosphere may depend on land-use.
  • Analyze how the three dimensional structure and in particular the chemical and physical conditions of the environment forms the basis for the organisms living there.
  • Analyze the effect of human activities on the environments and their functions to provide services to the surroundings and to the human society.
    Diversity and function of organisms
  • Describe methods for analyzing the diversity of the main groups of organisms and its relation to functioning of the environment.
  • Describe the interactions of land use, species composition, and ecosystem functioning.
  • Describe how interactions among organisms affect the observed reaction of these organisms to xenobiotics.
  • Describe the mechanisms behind changes in species composition in sites affected by human activity, and if bioindicators can give us information on these changes.
  • Analyze how different biomes have different conditions and therefore different threats to their optimal functioning.
    Literature and writing
  • Analyze, put into perspective, and criticize original research papers and reports.
  • Perform effective written and oral presentation of acquired knowledge and ideas.
  • Tilmelding: Registration 15 May - 1 June at KUnet
    Faglige forudsætninger: An introductory course in systems ecology and microbiology is an advantage.
    Eksamensform: In order to be allowed to the final exam, the student should have participated actively in the course by being present at least for 80% of the lab demonstrations, theoretical exercises and discussion classes, by performing a satisfactory oral presentation based on relevant litterature, and by handing in a satisfactory essay. Final oral exam is based on curriculum and practicals with external censorship and grading by the 7-step scale. The written essay will be rated to 25% of the final grading.
    Re-examination: Oral exam with the same requirements as the ordinary exam.
    Eksamen: Aflevering af essayopgave d. 4. april 2013 og mundtlig prøve d. 11. april 2013.
    Reeksamen: Mundtlig prøve d. 27. juni 2013.
    Kursus hjemmeside:
    Bemærkninger: The course is a semi-mandatory course in the Nature Management education.
    Undervisnings- sprog: Engelsk
    Sidst redigeret: 26/10-2012



    Københavns Universitet