Current Topics in Ecology II
The course will foster further critical thinking about and engagement with theory and application in ecology. Students will be encouraged to propose questions related to their area of specialization, especially in areas of controversy.
Recognizing continued progress in research, the course details will vary each year as new research emerges. External guest speakers will be invited to attend, usually remotely but occasional in person.
Secondarily, students will be introduced to basic methods of data management and analysis in ecology, although depending on their prior studies some students may be familiar with these already. About half the time will be devoted to lectures and the other half to exercises.
Course duration is two weeks (10 class days), typically in weeks 16 and 17 (late April) of a calendar year. The course will be held jointly at the campuses in Bodø and Steinkjer. Exact dates will be notified in week 11 of a particular year.
Knowledge The student will acquire:
- a firm understanding of current paradigms and practices in ecological theory
- experience and techniques in critical thinking and scientific arguments
- a firm grasp of methods in terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecology, including data analysis
Skills
The student will acquire:
- professional skills in presentation, giving seminars, writing for a public audience, and critical review of the literature
- be able to extract value from scientific publications to frame hypotheses based on research questions
- be able to infer, interpret, and explain ecological results to draw robust conclusions
- be able to incorporate uncertainty in scientific thinking
General competence
The student will:
- be able to debate perspectives and experiences with ecologists and biologists, and contribute to the development of good practice
- - use theory to plan and implement scientific research
For Bio9004, each student will spend several days assisting another PhD student or researcher with their fieldwork and/or associated lab work outside of their own study area (e.g., marine vs terrestrial, lab vs field). They will then write a 1-2 page popular article with photographs about it what the fieldwork entails and what it aims to discover. This article would contribute to public outreach and may be in English and/or Norwegian.
Recognising the challenges of fieldwork and weather conditions this experience can be conducted during prior semesters and during the summer while the student is enrolled as a PhD student.
In addition, each student will write a short (ca. 6000 words) critical review of a topic agreed with the course coordinators that would aim to be suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. They will make presentations of the proposed topic and their findings at a day late in the semester. This written paper will count for 80% of the course marks. The practical component will be less than 40 hours while writing the review is likely to take a minimum of 160 hours.
A solid background in basic ecology, including theory, is essential. A working knowledge of R is important.
Good understanding of ecology; basic understanding of statistical analysis and attendant philosophy of statistics.
