Postgraduate Ecology 2015-2016

 

The aim of this course is to assist students in gaining the most from their year of MSc study and in developing professional skills.

The course will comprise a series of interactive tutorials throughout the year addressing topics such as core academic skills, the ecological research process, scientific publishing, the role of ecology in society, current issues in ecology, career development etc. Activities may include field excursions and visits from professional ecologists.  

The aim of this course is to enable students to develop professional skills.

The course will comprise a series of interactive tutorials. Subjects to be covered will include:

- What are the current research issues in marine ecology?

- The use and abuse of hypotheses.

- How are new ecological ideas developed?

- How is research funded? Career development, jobs and PhD’s

-What ethical issues do different types of ecological research raise?

- How to read, write and publish a scientific paper.

- Planning a research project.

In this 7-day excursion to the Bettyhill Field Station in the North of Scotland, Masters students will be introduced to a variety of ecosystems and will learn to develop and assess hypotheses about the ecological patterns and processes that we encounter, using a range of ecological sampling techniques. We will also identify ecological sampling techniques used to address local conservation issues, and students will have the opportunity to develop and carry out a small-scale independent research project.

The course will develop the student’s awareness of how molecular genetic techniques can be used to inform our understanding of aspects of ecology, evolution, population biology and conservation science. The course will describe the underlying central dogma of molecular biology that explains how genetic diversity arises and can be harnessed as molecular markers. It will then review the contribution of molecular genetics in individual, population and species level studies.

·        Six themes that reflect current theory and practice in the interface between ecology and society; these are explored through structured in-class activities that challenge you to consider problems and evidence from different perspectives.

·        Guest lecturers from anthropology, human geography and philosophy increase your capacity for self-reflection and awareness of ethical and moral issues embedded in problems that are often framed as ecological.

·        Four short discussion essays are required; you will get detailed feedback for improving your writing skills.

·        Weekly student-led discussions allow you to develop your capacity for attentive exchange, informed argument and reasoning, and skills in facilitating discussion.

This course teaches how to construct, implement and analyse your own models. The course introduces simulation techniques and programming in either R or C++. Additionally, it introduces a new software platform, RangeShifter, developed by researchers at Aberdeen.  RangeShifter allows easier development of simulation studies in spatial ecology and conservation. Developers of the software are involved in teaching the course. A major component of the course is a mini project, during which you will work in small teams to develop your own models.

Freshwater Ecology aims to explore the relationships between freshwater organisms and their environment. Through interactive lectures, the students examine the physical, chemical, and biological factors that govern inland waters such as lakes, streams, and wetlands. The course focuses heavily on addressing interactions between humans and water and deals with the challenges and opportunities in conservation and management. A series of case studies that highlight the specific concepts and applications will be utilised through the course.

• Enables students to identify the rationale, questions, methods and logistics associated with their summer research projects;

• Time-tabling is unstructured to allow students the flexibility to meet with their supervisory team, undertake preliminary analyses and arrange logistics;

• Assessment designed to capture the key aims and methods of the project, and this work can be used as the basis of the main introductory chapter in the final thesis.