(Course Code: 131KEY, Course outline)
(Course Code: 131KEY, Course outline)
| Semester: | 6 | Teaching Credits: | 3 | ECTS Credits: | 6 | Type: |
Optional Compulsory |
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| Prerequisite Courses: | Introduction to Ecology | Course type: | Skills development | Instructor: | Anastasia Christopoulou | |||
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of designing and implementing ecological research.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
a) Understand the basic principles of experimental design and sampling as applied in ecological research.
b) Formulate research questions and design/select appropriate sampling protocols, depending on the study objectives and the research question.
c) Identify and describe the key biotic and abiotic characteristics of the study area and the selected sampling sites.
d) Carry out fieldwork to monitor and assess the conservation status of vegetation and habitat types, in accordance with international and national standards.
e) Apply techniques for recording structural and functional characteristics of vegetation.
f) Estimate and measure the age structure of vegetation, particularly in forest ecosystems, using basic dendrochronological and morphometric methods.
g) Analyze and interpret ecological data using basic tools of statistical and ecological analysis.
h) Produce scientific reports and present research findings clearly and in a well-documented manner, both in written and oral form
| Weekly topics: | As part of the course, lectures, field work and laboratory analyses are conducted, covering the following content: 1. Basic principles of experimental design and sampling 2. Selection of sampling sites based on the research question 3. Recording the characteristics of the study area and the sampling sites 4. Sampling for the monitoring and assessment of the conservation status of vegetation and habitat types 5. Measurements of vegetation structure and composition 6. Estimation and measurement of the age of forest vegetation types 7. Data analysis and interpretation 8. Presentation of the results |
| Theory – Lectures (hours / week): |
2 |
| Exercises – Laboratories (hours / week): |
1 |
| Other Activities: | Field trips |
| Grading: |
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| Notes: | Lecture slides in PowerPoint format |
| Basic Textbook: |
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| Language: | The course is taught in Greek |
| Internet Links: | Dimopoulos P., I. Tsiripidis, F. Xystrakis, A. Kallimanis, M. Panitsa 2018. Methodology for monitoring and conservation status assessment of the habitat types in Greece. National Center of the Environment and Sustainable Development, 128 pages. Athens |
