Admission requirements
This course is only open for students enrolled in the Minor Biodiversity and the Anthropocene.
Description
This six weeks course will consist of a mixture of fieldwork (gathering data); lectures; assignments and excursions. In general this course will focus on how to collect; store; process and translate biodiversity data into usable results (i.e. using R and Microsoft Access) to answer biodiversity related questions. The first week of this course will be spend deepening biodiversity theory through lectures and discussion sessions. The second week of the course will be filled with learning about the importance of biodiversity in the field through excursions and lectures on the different Dutch landscapes. These will revolve around questions such as: how were these landscapes created? What was the role of biodiversity in creating them?
Additionally; biodiversity related research skills will be honed during 2 fieldwork weeks (to Schiermonnikoog and an agricultural area close to Leiden). These fieldweeks include an assignment in which students will setup a study; collect data in the field; statistically analyze it and write a scientific report about their study in small groups. The end of the course will be mostly dedicated to prepare for a final exam.
Note that this course includes full day excursions; some of which inevitably start early because of the distance to the destination.
Course objectives
At the end of the course students are able to:
Explain the biodiversity related theory that is discussed in the lectures;
Illustrate how humans and biodiversity have formed and are still a part of the Dutch landscapes;
Explain the societal issues that are connected to the Dutch landscapes as discussed in the course;
Collect biodiversity data in various ways (plants; insects; aquatic invertebrates; soil invertebrates);
Use 1; 2; 3 and 4 to design experimental and observational studies that can answer pressing biodiversity questions within an ecological and/or a management/policy context;
Interpret; and report professionally on; the gathered biodiversity data from a scientific point of view.
Schedule
The timetables are available through My Timetable (see the button in the upper right corner). A detailed schedule will be provided on Brightspace before the start of the course.
Teaching method
Lectures; self-study; practicals; excursions
Assesment method
Assignment (40%)
Exam (60%)
The final mark for the course is established by (i) determination of the weighted average of the partial grades combined with (ii) a minimum assessment of 5.5 for each partial grade.
Resit, review & feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest.
Reading list
Registration
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the course coordinator: Dr. M.J.J. Schrama
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc., contact the Education Office
Remarks
For some of the excursions in module 1; a bicycle is needed; other will make use of public transportation.
Students will need to pay a contribution of €110 to the costs of the fieldweek in Schiermonnikoog (the costs may be subject to a minor change).
Brightspace will be used for communication and exchange of documents.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year; the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform; you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software; your laptop must meet certain system requirements; which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.