2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY5253M African Field Ecology

15 creditsClass Size: 24

Module manager: Dr Steven Sait
Email: S.M.Sait@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

Module replaces

BLGY5153M African Field Ecology, 20c, S2

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This field course provides practical, first-hand experience of field research in Africa, with a focus on ecological, conservation and wildlife management challenges in a semi-arid savannah environment. The course will be based primarily around small group projects that are of ecological or conservation relevance to the region. This will reinforce and broaden knowledge and understanding of the area and build upon aspects of the ecological training that has been received at Leeds.

Objectives

Students build their conceptual and practical knowledge and understanding by carrying out group projects that involve terrestrial ecology techniques and which illustrate a range of ecological concepts.

Familiarity with the methods used to monitor populations, habitat preferences and distributions, which are important for conservation management, will be developed. The field course will build on the skills and knowledge base acquired during the MSc teaching year.

This knowledge base is further expanded as each student gives a talk of ecological or conservation-relevance to the region. This greatly increases their breadth and depth of knowledge.

Students will become familiar with a range of ecological approaches and techniques, gain an appreciation of the major practical and biological issues of conservation, and develop the skills necessary to identify the more common local species of flora and fauna.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Plan and conduct an ecological and/or conservation field study in a semi-arid savannah African habitat

2. Understand the principles and practices of conservation and reserve management in a semi-arid savannah African habitat

3. Identify and study a range of African plants and animals

4. Collect, analyse, interpret and present research data of ecological and conservation interest.

Skills outcomes
Students will be able to develop team working skills, practical field experience, designing and carrying out field experiments, presentation skills, awareness of health and safety in the field.

Syllabus

This field course provides practical, first-hand experience of field research in Africa, with a focus on ecological, conservation and wildlife management challenges in a semi-arid savannah environment.

Students will plan and carry out a research project that addresses an ecological or conservation question. They will carry out this project safely and effectively, collecting data in a clearly structured and well-documented form. They will analyse and interpret the data making full use of statistical software, explaining methods and choice of tests.

Students will consider the research project in light of other relevant studies and its broader ecological and conservation significance. Additionally, students will prepare and present a presentation that is of ecological or conservation relevance to the location of the field course and the broader savannah region.

Furthermore, during daily seminar sessions to the whole class, each student gives a talk of ecological or conservation-relevance to the region. As well as building on their own knowledge through research their self-directed research for their talk, they will greatly increase their breadth and depth of knowledge from attending the full range of topics.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Fieldwork	14	8.00	112.00
Private study hours			38.00
Total Contact hours			112.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress with the 3000-word project report is checked, and formative feedback provided on a regular basis throughout the field course. Understanding of the underlying ecological concepts, experimental design, and development of methodology is provided throughout the field course through group discussions with their supervisor. Furthermore, focused data analysis/writing days at the end; students leave the field course with a complete understanding of their data and how to analyse it.

Feedback is provided on the final report when they are marked on Minerva, including annotations to the reports, a feedback summary, and use of the marking rubric. Feedback for the 20-minute presentation is provided during the field course using standard oral presentation feedback forms.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Presentation	1 x 20 minute presentation	30.00
Report	3,000 word report written during and after the field course	70.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 20/03/2023

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