Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Advanced Content in Terrestrial Ecology
Code: 42916Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial Ecology and Biodiversity Management | OP | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Jordi Martinez Vilalta
- Email :
- jordi.martinez.vilalta@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Sandra Nogue Bosch
- Anselm Rodrigo Dominguez
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
The module does not have specific requirements.
Objectives
The objective of this module is to provide students with an up-to-date understanding of the main foundations and approaches used in terrestrial ecology, from established classical concepts to the most recent advances. In addition to the specific content of terrestrial ecology, general aspects of the acquisition and limits of scientific knowledge through research will be addressed, as well as cross-cutting aspects such as the need for open and reproducible science, the ethics of scientific research, and scientific publishing. In particular, the process of communicating the results of scientific research through publication will be addressed, analyzing the structure of scientific texts, primarily articles, and the writing and review process.
Learning outcomes
- Use the main tools for searching in specialist literature.
- Use the main tools for searching in specialist literature.
- Analyse technical and scientific documents written in English and understand presentations in English.
- Identify some of the main advances and controversies in current ecological science.
- Situate ecology in the context of science.
- Describe the main processes that determine organisms' interactions with each other and with the medium.
- Integrate evolutionary factors in the interpretation of current ecological patterns.
- Interpret and evaluate the principles and general applications of terrestrial ecology.
- Know what distinguishes science from other forms of knowledge.
- Display the (constructively) critical spirit that is essential to science.
- Discuss ideas, using scientific evidence and arguments.
Contents
Cross-cutting contents:
- Science as a source of knowledge
- Scientific communication and publishing
- Open and reproducible science
- Ethics of research and research assessment
Specific contents:
- Functional biogeography
- Biosphere - atmosphere interacions
- Ecosystem resilience under global change
- The biodiversity crisis
- Macroecology
- Paleoecology
- Evolutionary ecology
- Ecological interaction networks
- Functional diversity
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 36 | 1.44 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
| Tutorials | 4 | 0.16 | 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 |
| Personal work reading and analysis of texts | 67.5 | 2.7 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| Preparation of reports, presentations and materials | 40 | 1.6 | 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
The module consists in reading and discussing a selection of texts, mainly scientific articles (in English). Based on these publications, the main themes of terrestrial ecology are presented, as well as the process of acquisition and transmission of scientific knowledge. Therefore, the corpus of ecological knowledge will be acquired through the contextualization of the specific problems and situations described in the papers. This approach illustrates reallistically the interrelation between different concepts and knowledge items and reproduces the way in which the emergence and consolidation of knowledge in this discipline occurs.The methodology of the module is thus based on the reading, analysis and discussion of scientific texts in ecology, carrying out different activities that include reading, writing of essays, preparation and delivery of oral presentations, resolution of exercises, in addition to more theoretical lectures and tutorials.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final module work | 30% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 |
| Folder with the documents and materials presented | 50% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 |
| Attendance and active participation in classes and seminars | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
- Attendance and participation in class (20%): the involvement, participation and rigor of the student will be evaluated.
- Student folder with documents and materials generated as a result of module activities, including those carried out in class and at home (50%).
- Final written comment of an article following the format of a publication (30%)
A minimum attendance of 80% is required to the sessions by each lecturer.
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, translations, or other tasks at the instructor's discretion. Students must clearly identify which parts of the assignment were generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final result of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in assessable activities will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a partial or full penalty on the assignment grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Bibliography
General reference text:
Levin, S.A. (2009) The Princeton Guide to Ecology. Princeton University Press.
The specific list of texts (papers) that will be the basis of the module will be provided before the beginning of the classes.
Software
Not applicable
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEMm) Seminars (master) | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |