6 EC
Semester 1, period 1
5042PALE6Y
The Palaeoecology course will provide you with a wide range of insights into how information about ecology and ecological change in the past can be obtained. To understand the ecology of the past we will also explore mechanisms related to past climatic change, physical processes in the landscape, and human activity. We will focus on the Quaternary period (last 2.6 million years), and evidence for past ecological change will be looked at over a range of timescales (from multi-millennial to annual). We will also explore spatial patterns of ecological change from local to global scales. Over the course of the lectures, practicals, discussions, and fieldwork, we hope that you will gain a new perspective on ecological change that places the world you see around you today into a clearer context.
During the Palaeoecology course you will be introduced to a wide range of concepts and techniques from the fields of biology, Earth sciences, physical geography, and archaeology. We will provide training through laboratory, computer, and field work exercises that will allow you to develop your skills as observational and analytical scientists. Laboratory practical work will focus on microscope identification and analysis of biological remains, while computer practical work will focus on the statistical analysis of the complex multi-variate data sets that you will generate. During the field work you will be trained in palaeoecological field techniques (e.g. sediment coring) and vegetation surveys. Throughout the Palaeoecology course you will be engaged with a group project on “environmental forensics” designed to allow you to think about what can, and cannot, be detected in the fossil record.
The course will lead to the following learning outcomes.
Students will be able to:
Field work: Every day, we will visit several sites of ecological and/or paleoecological importance. The topics that are discussed during the daily excursions will be discussed and presented by subgroups of students between 20:00 and 20:30 every day. After that, students will continue with group project work and microscrope analysis (between 20:30 and 22:30). The last day of the excursion will include an extended discussion, interpretation and presentations of the results of the group projects.
|
Activity |
Hours |
|
Lectures |
15 |
|
Tutorial |
1 |
|
Laboratory practical |
34 |
|
Computer practical |
2 |
|
Self-study |
12 |
|
Field work |
48 |
|
Question hour |
2 |
|
Exam |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Total 6EC x 28 hours |
168 |
Time not formally allocated for study activity (51 hours) should be used to prepare for lectures (additional readings are required and will appear on exams), complete practical assignments, and prepare for the examination.
See learning outcomes above.
Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):
Additional requirements for this course:
Additional requirements for this course:
Attendance at lectures is highly recommended. Attendance during practical component (laboratory, tutorial, and field excursion) is mandatory (from Teaching and Examination Regulations). More than one absence from laboratory, computer, or field practicals will result in a failure of the course.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
10% Laboratory Assignments | Must be ≥ 5 |
|
1 (50%) Laboratory Assignment 1 | |
|
1 (50%) Laboratory Assignment 2 | |
|
40% Communcation Assignments | Must be ≥ 5 |
|
10% Paper discussion | |
|
15% Group presentation | |
|
15% Field notebook | |
|
50% Exam | Must be ≥ 5, Allows retake |
The knowledge of participants is evaluated with a written exam about the various aspects of the course. The exam (at the end of week 4 of the course) is only open for students who submit all the practical and fieldwork assignments. Final grading (1-10) is based on: participation during practicals and field course: 50%, Written exam: 50%.
Students pass the course when each interim component is graded with 5 or higher and when the final grade is 5.5 of higher. Students who do not pass the exam should contact the course coordinator.
Grades for interim components are valid until the end of the academic year.
For at least twenty working days after the announcement of the results of a written examination, the student can, on request, inspect his/her assessed work, the questions and assignments set, as well as the standards applied for marking. The place and time will be announced via Blackboard (from Teaching and Examination Regulations).
The laboratory, tutorial, and field classes will provide you with practical skills in some of the techniques that you will learn about in the lecture course. During the laboratory classes you will develop skills in microscope use and the identification of micro- and macro-fossils through inspection of reference material. You will then apply these skills to characterize the micro-fossil content of modern soil/sediment samples obtained from unknown locations within the region of the field excursion. The microfossil analysis of modern soils/sediments will commence in the laboratory and continue during the field excursion. During the field work you will also conduct surveys of the vegetation and soils at various locations to characterize the modern environment. You will then use an ‘environmental forensic’ approach to analyse your data and identify which sites the modern soil/sediment samples came from. Through examining the relationship between the modern environment and the micro-fossil record we can improve, and assess the limitations of, our interpretation of the fossil record.
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.uva.nl/plagiarism
|
Week |
Activity |
Hours |
|
1 |
Lectures |
9 |
|
|
Tutorial |
1 |
|
|
Laboratory practical |
20 |
|
2 |
Lectures |
6 |
|
|
Laboratory practical |
12 |
|
|
Computer practical |
2 |
|
|
Self-study |
4 |
|
|
Field work |
8 |
|
3 |
Field work |
40 |
|
4 |
Question hour |
2 |
|
|
Exam |
3 |
|
Component |
Deadline |
Weight % |
Minimum grade |
Re-sit* |
|
Laboratory assignment 1 |
12/09/2016 |
5 |
1 |
Not possible |
|
Laboratory assignment 2 |
12/09/2016 |
5 |
1 |
Not possible |
|
Paper discussion |
23/09/2016 |
10 |
1 |
Not possible |
|
Group presentation |
23/09/2016 |
15 |
1 |
Not possible |
|
Field notebook |
23/09/2016 |
15 |
1 |
Not possible |
|
Written exam |
28/09/2016 |
50 |
5 |
Possible |
|
Re-sit exam |
09/01/2017 |
50 |
5 |
Not possible |
Het rooster van dit vak is in te zien op DataNose.
Student numbers: There is a maximum of 40 students for this course (due to practical/logistical constraints).
Language: The course will be predominately in English.
Location: Science Park 904 in Amsterdam and a one-week field course (field station at farmyard in Twente, eastern Netherlands).
Please note: Participation in the field course is compulsory, including the weekend.