BIOL375-19S2 (C) Semester Two 2019

Freshwater Ecosystems

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 15 July 2019
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2019
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 26 July 2019
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 27 September 2019

Description

Advanced theories and concepts of freshwater ecology and their practical application to current issues.

The field course runs from Tuesday 3 September to Friday 6 September at the Cass field station.

Goals of the Course
This course is designed to teach the advanced theories and concepts of freshwater ecology and their practical application to current issues. You will learn about the diversity and functioning of freshwater ecosystems, with emphasis on New Zealand systems but also with examples from overseas. Through a concentrated period of learning on a field course, you will also learn the most important practical skills necessary for a freshwater-related technical job in New Zealand. The content of this course has been determined in association with major employers such as Regional Councils and the Department of Conservation and is taught by Freshwater Ecologists who are actively engaged in international-quality research. Thus, we can be confident the course will equip students for freshwater ecology-related careers and that the training and knowledge they receive is state-of the art.

Learning Outcomes

  • As a student in this course, I will develop the ability to:
  • Understand current topics in freshwater ecology and their application to management of freshwater ecosystems (assessment: on-line quizzes, final exam).
  • Develop practical skills including species identification, experimental design, data analysis (assessment: field trip lab test; field trip short report).
  • Improve scientific communication skills, including report writing and use of the literature (assessment: field trip short report, non-assessed: field trip oral presentation).
  • Conduct field work safely (field trip preparation and conduct).

    Transferable Skills Register
    As a student in this course, I will develop the following skills:
  • Discovery, synthesis and interpretation of information. Combining information from lectures, course readings, the literature, and field trip in discussions on the field trip and course assessment.
  • Formation of hypotheses and explanations.  The field trip will include discussions of results as they come in, to develop hypotheses that can be tested in the field trip research.
  • Conducting safe field work in hazardous outdoor environments.  Before the field trip a health & safety discussion will occur focusing on identifying, eliminating, mitigating or minimizing hazards.
  • Knowledge of field sampling protocols for freshwaters, conducting water quality testing, and identification of benthic invertebrates and fish. We will carry out a range of exercises to illustrate useful field methods; the field trip lab test will assess identification skills.
  • Data analysis and interpretation. Initial analysis of data will occur on the field trip, and appropriate further analysis methods discussed for use in field trip reports.

Prerequisites

Timetable Note

The field course runs from Monday 3 September to Thursday 6 September at the Cass field station. You will be advised of more field trip details (what to bring and health & safety requirements etc) early in the course.  Note that the field trip is compulsory and provides the source of major in-term assessment.  To attend the field course you need to be capable of safely carrying out physical activities in the outdoors including walking in riverbeds and steep slopes.

Lecturer

Angus McIntosh

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Online quizzes 15%
Fieldwork notes 16 Sep 2019 20%
Major report 23 Sep 2019 30%
Final test 09 Oct 2019 35%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,058.00

International fee $4,716.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Biological Sciences .

All BIOL375 Occurrences

  • BIOL375-19S2 (C) Semester Two 2019