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Syllabus 2020-21 - 10412020 - Ecology 1 (Ecología I)

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  • Level 1: Tutorial support sessions, materials and exams in this language
  • Level 2: Tutorial support sessions, materials, exams and seminars in this language
  • Level 3: Tutorial support sessions, materials, exams, seminars and regular lectures in this language
DEGREE: Grado en Ciencias Ambientales
FACULTY: FACULTY OF EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2020-21
COURSE: Ecology 1
SYLLABUS
1. COURSE BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: Ecology 1
CODE: 10412020 ACADEMIC YEAR: 2020-21
LANGUAGE: English LEVEL: 2
ECTS CREDITS: 6.0 YEAR: 3 SEMESTER: PC
2. LECTURER BASIC INFORMATION
NAME: CARREIRA DE LA FUENTE, JOSÉ ANTONIO
DEPARTMENT: U102 - BIOLOGIA ANIMAL, BIOL.VEGETAL Y ECOLOGIA
FIELD OF STUDY: 220 - ECOLOGÍA
OFFICE NO.: B3 - 159 E-MAIL: jafuente@ujaen.es P: 953 21 25
WEBSITE: http://www10.ujaen.es/conocenos/departamentos/bioani/4146
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5995-076X
LANGUAGE: - LEVEL: 2
NAME: VIÑEGLA PÉREZ, BENJAMIN
DEPARTMENT: U102 - BIOLOGIA ANIMAL, BIOL.VEGETAL Y ECOLOGIA
FIELD OF STUDY: 220 - ECOLOGÍA
OFFICE NO.: B3 - 158 E-MAIL: bvinegla@ujaen.es P: 953212791
WEBSITE: http://www10.ujaen.es/conocenos/departamentos/bioani/area-de-ecologia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3768-9118
LANGUAGE: - LEVEL: 2
3. CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Thematic block I. Conceptual introduction

Thematic Unit 1

Ecology: epistemology and study sobjects. Organization levels. Hyerarchical theory. General theory of systems.

Thematic Unit 2

Basic models that confer sustainability to ecosystems. External factors that control state variables. Negative and positive feedbacks at different spatial and temporal scales.

Thematic Block II. Ecosystems’ properties (I). Structure and patterns

Thematic Unit 3

Processes that promote changes in the number of individuals. Populations. Definition and characterization. Lif e tables and diagrams

Thematic Unit 4

Biodiversity. Diversity indices. Information theory. Fitosociology approach. Alfa diversity and niche concept

Thematic Unit 5

Elements and patterns at the landscape level. Spatial distribution of populations; metapopulations. Beta diversity. Conectivity of landscapes

Thematic Unit 6

The role of climate on structuring communities and landscape units at the regional and global scales. Biogeographical distribution of species. Biomes, natural and anthropogenic ecoregions. Gamma diversity

Thematic Block III. Ecosystems’ properties (II)

Bloque temático III. Las Propiedades de los Ecosistema (I). Processses and function

Thematic Unit 7

Dynamics of populations. Growth models. Continuous vs discrete reproduction strategies, intra-specific competition and the role of age on structuring populations. Deterministic vs probabilistic growth models.

Thematic Units 8 and 9

Interactions inside mixed populations and communities. Inter-especific competition. Predator-prey, herbivory and parasite models. Mutualistic models

Thematic Unit 10

The ecosystem as the organization level. Matter cycles and energy fluxes. Primary energy, thermal radiation and atmosphere and hydrosphere dynamics. Primary and secondary production and biomass. Units. Trophic relationships

Thematic Unit 11

Matter fluxes and biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Thematic Unit 12

Processes at the regional and global scales. Changes in the number of species, biological invasions and extinctions. Global change and consequences

Practical contents:

  1. Field activity. Sampling strategies. Number of individuals and species along an altitudinal gradient. Analysis of data in the computer room
  2. Minimal sampling area (qualitative and quantitative). Species richness
  3. Spatial distribution of species
  4. Communities characterization. Alfa diversity and dominance índices
  5. Gradiental analysis. Beta diversity and similarity/dissimilarity indices
  6. Multivariate techniques

4. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING METHODOLOGY

Theoretical sessions (3 ECTS, 50%). These sessions will include audio-visual materials, bibliographic references and internet web pages. Competences CE-33 and CE-2

Seminars and tutorials, small groups (1.5 ECTS). These will include (i) case discussions (teacher and students), (ii) reading and critical discussions of scientific texts, and (iii) solving questions and problems. It is important that the students have autonomous work reading texts and solving problems. Competences CE-2 and CE-4

Personalized tutorials will also be performed under the supervision of the teacher, after the solution of the questions by the students during their autonomous work. The students will prepare a small presentation (5-10 minutes) of their autonomous work in order to demonstrate their comprehension of the subjects. Competences CE-33 and CE-2

Practical sessions (1.5 ECTS, 25%). This will include the following activities: (i) a field work to design a sampling and to collect samples that will be used afterwards, and (ii) computer lab sessions to process the information. The autonomous work of the students will include (i) repeating techniques and methods in their personal computers, and (ii) performing a report and a presentation analysing the data collected during the practical sessions. Competences CE-4, CE-39 and CE-14

Exams: The students will perform an exam for the final evaluation. The solved version of the exam will be uploaded to the virtual platform of the subject. After the evaluation, a seminar will be performed where the evaluation criteria will be presented and the possible doubts will be solved

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support

5. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

Attendance to Academically Guided Activities, practical sessions in the computer lab and field work (5% of the final score)

The evaluation of the theoretical part (60% of the final score) will depend on a written test with: (i) Multi-answer questions, (ii) short questions on concepts, and (iii) long questions where to interpret and analyse information, ability for synthesis and for relate and integrate concepts. This test will evaluate the competences CT-1, CB3, CB4, CB5, CE-3, CE-33 and CE-2

Activities not performed in the theoretical sessions (30% of the final score) will allow evaluating the acquisition of competences CE-33, CE-2, CE-3, CE-14, CE-4 and CE-39. The final score will take into account the acquired knowledge during the seminars and the practical sessions. For the seminars (10% of the final score) the structure, contents, quality of the information, and quality of the presentation of the critical reviews of scientific texts will be evaluated. Practical activities (25% of the final score) the same criteria will be considered, although applied to the reports coming from the field and computer lab activities, including an exam in the computer lab

6. BOOKLIST
MAIN BOOKLIST:
  • Ecology [Recurso electrónico] : the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Edition: 6th ed. Author: Krebs, Charles J. Publisher: Harlow, Essex : Pearson, 2014  (Library)
  • Essentials of ecology . Edition: -. Author: Townsend, Colin R.. Publisher: Malden, MA. : Blackwell, 2008  (Library)
  • Elements of Ecology. Edition: 5th ed. Author: Smith, Robert Leo. Publisher: San Francisco [etc.]: Benjamin Cummings : Pearson Education, 2003  (Library)
7. VIRTUAL / CLASSROOM TEACHING SCENARIO

1) Methodology

According to the recommendations of the Faculty Dean, teaching activities to the large group (theoretical classes, 30 sessions of 1 h) will be 100% online through video-conference, unless the size of the group is within the permitted classroom capacity or due to changes in socio-sanitary circumstances that allow for an increase in attendance to classrooms.

 

Small group teaching activities, including seminars in the computer classroom (4 sessions of 2 hours) and in the teaching classroom (1 session, 2 hours), as well as practicals in the computer room (5 sessions of 2 hours), will take place 100% face-to-face, to the extent that the assigned classrooms allow it. A field trip (6h) will carried out, according to the capacity that allows transport by bus (dividing vehicles where appropriate) and with the established protection and distance measures (use of masks, etc.). There are no laboratory practiccal activities scheduled for this subject.

The individualized and / or group tutorials will be held via email or videoconference.

2) Evaluation

All the evaluation instruments will maintain their relative weights on the final score obtained by each student, and will be applied online: (i) delivery through the Virtual Teaching Platform of the personal work tasks proposed in the Seminars (10% of weight over the final grade), (ii) online theory exam (60%), and (iii) online computer classroom practice exam (25%). In the case of registration of attendance and participation in small group activities (5% of weight in the final grade), this will be done in person during their development.

3) Resources

The necessary resources offered by the University of Jaén will be used (https://www.ujaen.es/her Herramientas-para-la-docencia-y-la-evaluacion-virtual) to carry out teaching and evaluation in the stage modality mixed.

8. VIRTUAL TEACHING SCENARIO

In the case of a 100% non-face-to-face scenario, the
procedure will be as indicated for the mixed / multimodal scenario,
but with the following differences:

- The small group activities (seminars and practices in the
computer room) will be carried out online via videoconference and
using virtual software resources, so that the acquisition of
minimum skills is also completed through the provision of
multimedia material (own elaboration or available online).

The field trip will be suspended, and will be replaced by a video
conference seminar where students will be informed regarding the
sampling methods to characterize natural resources of the place
chosen as the site for the field trip.

As the evaluation system, the one specified for the mixed scenario will be maintained, since also in the mixed scenario all the evaluation instruments will be applied by 100% online procedures.

3) Resources

The
necessary resources offered by the University of Jaén will
be

used (https://www.ujaen.es/her Herramientas-para-la-docencia-y-
la-evaluacion-virtual) to carry out teaching and evaluation in the
stage modality mixed.

DATA PROTECTION CLAUSE (on line exams)

Institution in charge of data processing: Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, 23071 Jaén

Data Protection Delegate: dpo@ujaen.es

Purpose: In accordance with the Universities Law and other national and regional regulations in force, carrying out exams and assessment tests corresponding to the courses students are registered in. In order to avoid frauds while sitting the exam, the exam will be answered using a videoconference system, being able the academic staff of the University of Jaén to compare and contrast the image of the person who is answering the exam with the student's photographic files. Likewise, in order to provide the exam with evidential content for revisions or claims, in accordance with current regulation frameworks, the exam will be recorded and stored.

Legitimacy: compliance with legal obligations (Universities Law) and other national and regional regulations currently in force.

Addressees: service providers who are the owners of the platforms where the exams are carried out and with whom the University of Jaén has signed the corresponding data access contracts.

Storage periods: those established in current in force regulations. In the specific case of exam videoconference recordings, not before the examination records and transcripts are closed or the exam can still be reviewed or challenged.

Rights: you can exercise your right of access, amendment, cancellation, opposition, suppression, limitation and portability by sending a letter to the postal or electronic address indicated above. In the event that you consider that your rights have been violated, you may submit a complaint to the Andalusian Council for Transparency and Data Protection www.ctpdandalucia.es

CLASS RECORDING CLAUSE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION

Person in charge: Universidad de Jaén, Paraje Las Lagunillas, s/n; Tel.953 212121; www.ujaen.es

Data protection delegate (DPO): TELEFÓNICA, S.A.U. ; Email: dpo@ujaen.es

Procedure aim: To manage proper recordings of teaching sessions with the aim of facilitating learning process under a multimodal and/or online teaching

Period for record storage: Images will be kept during legal term according to regulations in force

Legitimacy: Data will be managed according to legal regulations (Organic Law 6/2001, December 21, on Universities) and given consent provided by selecting corresponding box in legal admission documents

Data recipients (transfers or assignments): Any person allowed to get access to every teaching modality

Rights: You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation, portability, limitation of processing, deletion or, where appropriate, opposition. To exercise these rights, you must submit a written request to the Information, Registration and Electronic Administration Service of the University of Jaen at the address above, or by e-mail to the address above. You must specify which of these rights you are requesting to be satisfied and, at the same time, you must attach a photocopy of your ID card or equivalent identification document. In case you act through a representative, legal or voluntary, you must also provide a document that proves this representation and identification. Likewise, if you consider that your right to personal data protection has been violated, you may file a complaint with the Andalusian Data Protection and Transparency Council www.ctpdandalucia.es