Below are the learning outcomes of the course, including references to the final qualifications of the master Biology.
At the end of the course, you:
- will understand the elementary principles of alpine ecology
- will be able to identify the drivers for the large variation in biodiversity among habitats varying in abiotic conditions
- will be able to infer local abiotic and biotic conditions from the morphological characteristics of individual plants and animals or vegetation structure
- will recognize how plants and animals adapt to cope with extreme environments
- can write, with a colleague student or alone, an elaborate synthesis on an alpine ecological topic
- can define relevant questions in alpine ecology, formulate hypotheses based on these questions and set up a field study with colleague students that tests the hypotheses, and evaluate the results and present these in an oral presentation
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This course consists of a 3 ec literature pitch that you will undertake together with a student colleague (starting in February, to be finished before June), and a 11-days field excursion into the Swiss Alps starting 22 June 2023.
Why an excursion to the Alps? The ecology of alpine systems differs strongly from lowland systems, and this course will hence substantially broaden your existing ecological knowledge and perspectives. Importantly, the area of the Binntal in Switzerland comprises a large variation of well accessible climate zones with their associated vegetation types, flora and fauna. Since the valley has not been developed for winter sports, and agriculture practice is still small-scale, ecosystem variation and biodiversity are among the largest within the Alps.
During the course of this excursion we will stay at the campground in the Binn valley, where we will study topics in plant and animal ecology. The emphasis of the course is particularly on the interpretation of differences in abiotic and biotic conditions, and how these affect plant and animal shape, behaviour and life history. The excursion will cover many of the altitudinal zones found in the high mountains, and classical excursions will be varied with short assignments and talks prepared by students. The field course will be concluded by two days of experimentation or other field study, which are presented at the last day in Switzerland. At this same day, a written exam is taken.
Instructional Modes
- Field lectures
- Field lab class
- Literature study
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Bachelor courses in Plant Physiology and Ecology. Strongly recommended: Ecophysiology of Plants, Animal Ecology.
Please mind that a background in merely Environmental Science does not qualify for this course.
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Literature pitch: 40%; Lab class including presentation: 20%; Written exam: 40% with minimum grade 5.0
Please mind that the field lab class does not have a resit.
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The course can only host a limited number of participants (typically max. 20-25). Selection takes place on motivation and how the course fits your educational programme. You have to be reasonably fit, as the excursions include some relatively steep climbs and we sleep in tents at a campground at 1600 m. Students suffering from asthma, joint or muscle injuries, serious hay fever, etc. have completed this course in the past, but people with these conditions are advised to contact the coordinator of the course before subscribing (Eric.Visser@science.ru.nl). We need to charge a fee for the excursion, which covers travelling to Binn (and back), all meals except those during the first and last day, coffee and tea, and the stay at the campground. Typically this fee will be around € 400 and will be communicated before final enrollment.
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