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 elements of the field course are the acquisition of skills in designing and conducting field projects and the acquisition of skills using field equipment. Students choose one group project and carry out it out over the course of the week. Advice will be provided by staff and PhD student Demonstrators. Visits to places of ecological and environmental interest are scheduled throughout the week.
All activities will comply with current Covid-19 Government and University requirements. |
| Course description |
Course dates:
Saturday 4th to Wednesday 15th September 2021. The 11th and 12th are days off.
Project 1. The effect of stream water quality on aquatic invertebrate abundance and diversity.
Project 2. Mitigating the leaching of nutrients and trace metals in coniferous forest soils.
Project 3. Can we characterise molecular level differences between forest and grassland soil organic matter?
Project 4. Plant and invertebrate richness across a disturbance gradient.
Project 5. The relationship between understorey plant diversity and woodland tree canopy characteristics.
Project 6. How does habitat affect small mammal populations?
Project 7. Relationship between invasive plant species and the environment.
Students choose one group project and carry out it out over the course of the week. Advice will be provided by staff and PhD student Demonstrators.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, 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) |
Coursework 100%
Poster Conference: 20%, Field Project write-up: 40%, Essay: 40%
Assessment deadlines
- Poster of field project (worth 20%) due Tuesday at 5pm of Week 0.
- Write up of the field project (worth 40%) by 12 noon on Friday of Week 3.
- A second written assessment (worth 40%) on a second topic by 12 noon on Friday of Week 10.
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| Feedback |
Examples of feedback can be found here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation/staff/feedback-and-marking |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Be able to define hypotheses and design a sampling strategy and methodology to complete a field research project.
- Have a comprehensive knowledge of the principles and some of the specialised skills of enquiry employed in ecological field work.
- Have gained competence in the use of ecological and environmental field techniques and know how to apply these skills in field investigations.
- Be able 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.
- Have an ability to communicate with senior colleagues and specialists through presentations and subject specific meetings with practitioners. This will 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 | Mrs Nicola Clark
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: nicola.clark@ed.ac.uk |
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