Duration
26h Th, 22h Cl. inv.
Number of credits
| Master in biology of organisms and ecology (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits | |||
| Master in environmental science and management (120 ECTS) | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course aims at presenting the stress caused by mankind on the biosphere. After an introduction which provides a perspective of the changes ecosystems have been through on the different times scales of the planet, the evolution in time and space of each biomes/ecosystem is considered after our species emerged on the earth. The possible management approaches to solve the most problematic changes and their various implications for both human societies and the environment are also considered.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The major objective of the course is to provide a global view of the stress the biosphere is being subjected to, of its causes and management strategies existing to minimize this stress. At the end of the course students should have a clear idea of the extent and main causes of the degradation of the biomes/ecosystems. They should be able to identify and understand which are the most problematic causes of stress on the environment and of the biomes/ecosystems that are most endangered. They should also be aware of the various implications of the different types of management strategies both on human societies and on the ecosystems.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course consists of an introduction to the changes ecosystems have been through on the different times scales of the planet.
The possible management approaches to solve the most problematic changes and their various implications for both human societies and the environment will also be presented together with a few case studies.
The main course material, however, will be prepared and presented by the students themselves. Groups of students will be formed and each group will work on one biome/ecosystem. Groups will have to gather information on and summarize the evolution and present situation of all biomes/ecosystems since the emerging of our species, they will have to identify the main causes (distal and proximal) of the observed changes and their possible management.
A regular follow-up of the team work will be provided by the teaching staff. The final result will be presented by the students. The comments are remarks of the discussion following each presentation are take into account in the evaluation. Slide shows and summaries are circulated among students.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
The courses includes lectures, work sessions by groups of students with and without the presence of a teacher.
Recommended or required readings
The Millenium Assessment and the book by F. Ramade, Eléments d'Ecologie - Ecologie Appliquée are provided to students at the beginning of the course as base documents.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
Written work / report
Additional information:
One third of the final grade corresponds to the evaluation of the group work.
The remaining marks correspond to the final written exam (closed books) which will encompass all biomes/ecosystems (and their state, causes of stress, evolution and management).
N.B.: a delay in the handing of the final slideshows will be sanctionned by a reduction of 1 point out of 20 (per delay).
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
During the first teaching session a calendar of the evolution of the work group will be fixed (dates for providing the plan of the work, the final slideshow of the presentation and the written summary).
Since delays to this schedule might jeopardize the quality of the final material (as the follow-up by the teaching staff would then be very difficult), they will imply a deduction of marks in the group assessment.
The draft versions of the plans/slideshows prepared by students must be posted on the ecampus platform at the latests at 22:00 the day before the interviews with the teachers.
Contacts
see section in French