6 EC
Semester 1, period 1
5133QUEC6Y
During this module, students will explore concepts related to the patterns and processes that are responsible for shaping tropical ecosystems, with an emphasis on tropical rain forests. After completing this module, students will be able to:
Course Overview
The course consists of lectures, a symposia of guest lecturers, paper discussions, a group project, and a field excursion to the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam.
Lectures and paper discussions will provide students a foundational understanding of tropical ecology, and will cover: i) tropical biogeography, ii) tropical forest structure and diversity, iii) processes maintaining biodiversity, iv) ecosystem dynamics, v) island biogeography, vi) the role of humans in tropical systems, and vii) the past, present, and future of tropical systems.
The group project allows students to focus in on a tropical region of their choice. Each group will choose a tropical region, and develop a teaching module that includes a lecture, paper discussion, and exam question on that region. There will be several workshops over the course of the module where the groups will develop material for their project. The end of the module will consist of ‘World Tour of the Tropics’
The Tropical Ecology Symposium includes a series of guest speakers from UvA, Wageningen, and Utrecht University. The guest speakers all perform research in tropical regions, and the symposium will highlight a broad array of topics and regions of interest. The complete list of speakers will be published on Canvas.
The final exam will cover material from the lectures (and associated readings), paper discussions, and the symposium of guest lectures.
Assessment and requirements:
Paper discussions (individual): 5%
Group project: 45%
Final examination (individual): 50%
Students must attend the final presentation sessions in Week 3. Students must also receive a grade higher than 5.0 on all assignments to pass the course. A re-sit exam will be given.
The lecture and discussion series and Group Project work will contribute to a breadth of concepts regarding the tropical ecosystems, deepened by acquiring organizational and creative skills necessary to generate a lecture and lead a discussion on a topic from a tropical region of your choice.
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Activity |
Hours |
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Hoorcollege |
24 |
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Werkcollege |
4 |
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Symposium |
4 |
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Presentatie |
12 |
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Tentamen |
3 |
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Veldwerk |
2 |
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Self study |
+10 |
Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):
Additional requirements for this course:
Obligatory attendance and submission dates can be found in bold on the Detailed Timetable in Canvas.
Attending all scheduled education activities is strongly advised. By doing so, you actively contribute to a lively learning community and significantly improve your chances of successfully completing the course. The designated mandatory activities play a crucial role in achieving the course objectives and are essential for your overall progress. By registering for this course, you are complying with the rules regarding attendance and agreeing to actively prepare for and participate in the mandatory activities.
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studiewijzer |
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Group Project |
A large part of the course consists of group assignments. Attendance and active participation in the learning activities during the hoorcolleges and werkcolleges are crucial for the group work. See the Course Timetable on Canvas for dates and times where hoorcollege periods are dedicated to group project planning and participation
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Werkcolleges met discussies |
Furthermore, the tutorials mainly focus on class discussions and group assignments. The material is not just limited to literature, but also involves articulating and applying the ideas, theories, and concepts from the literature. Therefore, the quality of the tutorials largely depends on the attendance, preparation, and active participation of every student.
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| Item and weight | Details |
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Final grade | |
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0.5 (50%) Final exam | Must be ≥ 5 |
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0.05 (5%) Exam Question | |
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0.15 (15%) Paper discussion | |
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0.25 (25%) Lecture | |
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0.01 (1%) Paper discussion 1 | |
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0.01 (1%) Paper discussion 2 | |
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0.01 (1%) Paper discussion 3 | |
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0.015 (2%) Paper discussion 4 |
| Leerdoel: | Toetsonderdeel 1: | Toetsonderdeel 2: |
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The manner of inspection will be communicated via the digitial learning environment.
Final exam
Group Project
Group Project
Group project
Paper discussion
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
| Weeknummer | Onderwerpen | Studiestof |
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| 2 | ||
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| 8 |
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It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.
In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.
| Course Name (#EC) | N | |
| Strengths | Notes for improvement |
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