Duration
Notions and concepts : 60h Th
Stage d'écologie marine : 5d FW
Number of credits
Lecturer
Notions and concepts : Gabriel Castillo Cabello, Bruno Frederich, Eric Parmentier
Stage d'écologie marine : Eric Parmentier
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
All year long, with partial in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Notions and concepts
The course is designed in such a way that students become aware that the study of Biodiversity and Ecology is necessary for an integrative view of living organisms. The relationships between the biodiversity and the conditions of the environment are presented. Among thedeveloped topics, there is the illustration of the biodiversity of large groups of invertebrates (annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, urochordates, etc.), vertebrates (mainly fish and birds) and cryptogams (algae, lichens, etc. ) and range interpretation. The course provides the basic concepts of Ecology. Finally, the study of the relationships between species as well as the introduction of methods to quantify biodiversity will be detailed.
Note: Supports of the course (ppts, documents) on the Internet are only intended for use by students as part of their course at the University of Liège. No other use or dissemination is allowed, otherwise it will constitute a violation of the Law of 30 June 1994 on copyright.
The course supports on the Internet do not represent the entire subject matter but they constitute the essential and minimum basic notes to its good knowledge.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Notions and concepts
The course integrates zoological and botanical aspects during observations in the laboratory and in the field, as welle as the understanding of ecology and organisms diversity. The relationships of organisms with each other and with their biotopes are particularly highlighted, with particular attention to adaptations. The course raise awareness about the importance of fieldworks in biology and of variation of biodiversity across time and space.
At the end of the classes, students must have assimilated the concepts of ecosystems, ecological niches, energy flows, symbiotic relationships and the cycle of matter that condition the functioning of ecosystems.
Students also learn to describe a landscape, to take samples and to observe the characteristics of the environment.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Notions and concepts
The study of Biodiversity and Ecology requires to know the courses of Biology, Chemistry, Physics from block 1 of the Bachelor in biological sciences. Students have to be very attentive to those of bloc 2 of the same Bachelor, as Biochemistry and Geology.
It is essential that students know the classification of animals and plants as seen during bloc 1 courses of the Bachelor in Biological Sciences. A student with insufficient knowledge in this field will not be admitted to the exam at the end of the year (see below).
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Notions and concepts
Learning activities combine theoretical classes, lab- and field-work.
Students must build a collection of invertebrates and a herbarium, which will be presented during the exam in June. Students who have difficulties with determination are free to meet with teachers to get help.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Notions and concepts
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
Theory: 60h through the first and second quarter either at the l'institut de Zoologie, 22 quai Van Beneden (Bât. I1), or in Sart Tilman (according to the disponibility of classrooms). Each teacher will provide approximatively 20 hours of theory.
The Botany part (Dr. G. Castillo) deals with the associations and the plant distributions in the world with an emphasis on those found during the field courses.
The zoological diversity part (Prof. E. Parmentier) includes the presentation of (1) the rules for nomenclature, (2) animal groups typical of the environments visited durng field courses, (3) the diversity of coastal environments in the area of St-Malo,(4) terrestrial and freshwater organisms of Belgium.
The introduction to general ecology (Dr. B. Frédérich) deals with: the concept of an ecosystem, the role of ecological factors shaping communities and populations, the notion of ecological niche, the structure of food chains, the notions of energy flux at the biosphere level, biogeochemical cycles and the impact of humans on biological equilibriums (anthropogeneic effects such as eutrophication, green house effect, acid rains,...).
Definitions, natures and some measures of biodiversity will finally be provided (Dr. B. Frédérich).
Practicals: practicals consist in field trips (7 days on the coast near St-Malo and 5 one-day trips in Belgium).
Recommended or required readings
Notions and concepts
For botany, documents will be distributed during the course.
For zoology and ecology, a syllabus will be provided with the main content of the course.
Notions and concepts
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Additional information:
The ecology part of the first semester will be the subject of a dispensatory test in December. It is a written test. The grade obtained is automatically the final grade for this part. The grade obtained for this test will be displayed in front of Madame Lunetta's office (B6c).
The final exam includes questions on theory, comments of animal - plant - landscape pictures. It also includes the comment of distribution maps and the identification of organisms observed during the field courses and of the main trees of Belgium. A small collection of invertebrates and a small herbarium will be prepared by the students and commented during the exam. These collections are pre-requisites to the presentation of the exam.
To pass students will need to obtain a minimal grade of 10/20 with at least 8/20 for each parts. In case a student needs to present the exam a second time, all parts for which he/she did not get at least 12/20 will have to be presented again. For students repeating their year, a global grade of at least 12/20 is necessary to be exempted of presenting the exam anew. The only partial exemptions possible are for the invertebrate collection and the herbarium in case the grade for these parts are of at least 12/20.
Work placement(s)
Notions and concepts
see item "practical teaching"
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Notions and concepts
Secretariate : Mariella Lunetta - Institut de Chimie B6c - Tél : 04/366.50.62 - email: M.lunetta@ulg.ac.be
Botany : Dr. G. Castillo Cabello, Maître de Conférences - Collectif des enseignements de biologie, Institut de Zoologie, I1. - Tél. : 04/366.50.05 - Fax 04/366.50.53 - email: G.Castillo@uliege.be
Zoology : Prof. E. Parmentier - Laboratoire de Morphologie fonctionnelle et évolutive, Quartier AGORA, Institut de Chimie, B6c - Tél. : 04/366.50.24 - email: E.Parmentier@uliege.be
Ecology : Dr. B. Frédérich, Maître de Conférences - Laboratoire de Morphologie fonctionnelle et évolutive, Quartier AGORA, Institut de Chimie, B6c - Tél. : 04/366.50.40 - email: bruno.frederich@uliege.be