Undergraduate Course: Ecological and Environmental Science field course (including management) (ECSC10033)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The field course builds upon the skills and competences acquired by Ecological and Environmental Sciences students during previous field courses and lecture classes. The core element of the two components of the field course are the acquisition of skills in designing and conducting field sampling and monitoring projects; the acquisition of skills using field equipment. Field course locations may change for a variety of reasons, including security risks, increased costs or inability to access field locations. Any changes to the main destination of the field course will be announced as soon as possible. |
| Course description |
Saturday 1st
1000: Arrive at Crew Building for loading
1030: Leave from Crew Building
1230: Arrive the Green Welly, Tyndrum
1300: Depart Tyndrum
1400: Arrive Oban. Assemble the field lab. Initial discussion of projects with demonstrators.
2000: Overview talk about the week ahead and itinerary ¿ domestic issues. Gail Jackson
Sunday 2nd
0900: Discussion of projects. Assembling equipment and visiting field sites
1600: Group presentation of plans for projects
2000: Lecture about the role of Nature Reserves. Gail Jackson
2030: Talk about experiences of being a Ranger. Jess Finan
Monday 3rd
0900: Depart for Glasdrum NNR (not confirmed). The ranger is Heather Watkin.
1200: Packed lunch on site. Return to Cologin.
1400: Project work
2000: Lecture and discussion about renewable resources. Margaret Graham
Tuesday 4th
0900: Depart for the wind farm and hydro scheme at Stronachullin (PA30 8ET)
1000: Arrive at wind farm and hydro scheme. Talk and visit to a turbine
1230: Packed lunch on site. Return to Cologin
1400: Project work
2000: Talk about how to run a field campaign. Examples from Congo, Angola and Mozambique. John Godlee
Wednesday 5th
0900: Project work all day
2000: Talk about SAMS research (not confirmed). Laura Tulip
2030: Introduction to tomorrow¿s beach trawl and transect activities. Gail Jackson
Thursday 6th
1000: Beach trawl and sand dune transect
1330: Lecture at SAMS from Dr Steven Benjamins and guided look round the Ocean Explorer Centre.
1500: Project work
2000: Quiz in the bar
Friday 7th
1000: Depart for Edinburgh
1400: Process soil samples
Monday 10th September 0930 Analysis of data from group projects
Tuesday 11th September 0930 Analysis of data from group projects
Wednesday 12th September 1400 Poster presentations
Friday 28th September 1200 Deadline for hand in of project reports
Project titles
Project 1: Biology and ecology of bats
Project 2: Relationship between invasive species and environment
Project 3: How does the abundance and diversity of invertebrates differ with light interception calculated via hemispherical photography?
Project 4: The relationship between understorey plant diversity and woodland tree canopy characteristics
Project 5: Susceptibility of forest soils to leaching of nutrients and trace metals
Project 6: Characteristics of forest and grassland soil organic matter
Project 7: How does soil type influence earthworm abundance and diversity?
Project 8: Small mammals
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | Approximately £147 for travel and accomodation. Costs will be reviewed on a yearly basis and are subject to change. Please be aware that students who are taking this course as an elective will pay full price and not the subsidised fee advertised. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2018/19, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 6,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 12,
Fieldwork Hours 32,
External Visit Hours 14,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
120 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Poster Conference: 20%, Field Project write-up: 40%, Essay: 40%
Poster of field project due in week 0
Write up of the field project due in week 2
A second written assignment on a second topic due in week 10.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- To gain a comprehensive knowledge of the principles and some of the specialised skills of enquiry employed in ecological field work.
- To gain competence in the use of ecological and environmental field techniques and to apply these skills in field investigations.
- To execute a defined project of research and identify the relevant outcomes by appropriate statistical data analysis and interpretation. This will enable students to plan and practise in a context similar to those found at a professional level, which includes an element of unpredictability.
- An ability to communicate with professional level peers and senior colleagues and specialists will be developed through the peer-to-peer presentations and field visits with practitioners which will also enable students to gain an appreciation of the contexts and challenges associated with ecological and environmental management.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Field techniques,ecology and environment,populations,biodiversity,trace gases,micrometeorology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Gail Jackson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5436
Email: G.Jackson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Eilein Fraser
Tel: (0131 6)50 5430
Email: Eilein.Fraser@ed.ac.uk |
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