Close
Description
This field-based module provides an introduction to various methods of sampling and quantifying terrestrial and aquatic animal and plant biodiversity and is complementary to the module BIOL0014 Fundamentals of Ecology. The module will run for two weeks in June (usually the two weeks after the week that includes the Spring Bank Holiday) and be split between two sites. During the first four days, we will be based in London and focus on sampling terrestrial plants and invertebrates on Hampstead Heath. The second part of the module will take place at Blencathra Field Centre in the Lake District where we will focus on species identification and the ecology of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and birds.
Learning Objectives
This course will help you being to develop skills which are important for a field ecologist, including:
- Key field skills, including better knowledge of:
- Biodiversity sampling
- Common grassland plant species
- How to identify and classify invertebrates, most likely Lepidoptera
- How to identify major groups of freshwater invertebrates
- How to characterize the niches filled by insects, and how to examine these in the field
- How to calculate simple biodiversity indices, and use them to make comparisons between the faunas of different habitat types
- How to identify and census populations of common bird species
- Use of statistical tests to analyse field data
- Ability to make inferences on the basis of data collected
- Project planning
- Co-ordination of group work
- Written presentation of a scientific study
- Oral presentation and discussion of results
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
听