Aquatic Ecosystems: Processes and Applications
Dates, Fee, ECTS
Start: 12 June 2017
End: 30 June 2017
Deadline IHE application: 12 May 2017 - 23.59 (CET)
Course fee: € 2850
Learning objectives
Upon completion, the participant should be able to:
- Conduct laboratory techniques used for basic limnological studies. Specifically, you will be able to measure physical-chemical properties, chlorophyll a concentration in seston and periphyton; measure and calculate primary production and community respiration, measure nutrient concentration and turbidity, calculate and measure ash free dry mass, and perform zooplankton counts.
- Develop a research question based on the experimental design.
- Analyze data using either statistical or modeling techniques to answer your research question.
- Produce a report in the format of a scientific article that presents your research question, the data supporting it, and a discussion of your results, including a review of relevant literature.
- Critically analyze your colleagues' work in the form of a professional peer review.
Course content
An experimental set-up will be used as a case to analyse the effects of eutrophication and to familiarise participants with techniques that are common in ecological research.
Ample attention will be paid to the development of a critical scientific approach, including study design, statistical analysis and data presentation.In a fieldwork study, hydrological, chemical and biological measurements will be integrated into an overall evaluation of the water quality in a river catchment. Modelling tools will be applied in an exercise to evaluate the effects of eutrophication, in a shallow lake and the potentials for restoration, including a cost-benefit analysis.