NES3302 : Current Research in Ecology
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Darren Evans
- Lecturer: Dr James Guest, Dr Dave George, Professor Angharad MR Gatehouse, Dr Jordan Cuff, Professor Per Berggren
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
- Capacity limit: 99 student places
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), this module will cover how advances in ecological theory can be used to address global challenges, in particular SDG 2 Zero Hunger; 13 Climate Action; 14 Life Below Water; and 15 Life on Land. The module will consist of contemporary topics in a range of biomes, each taught by experts intimately involved with the research developments being discussed. A central focus is the application of ecology to real-world problems, drawing on international examples as well as in Newcastle and the wider region, and the importance of effectively communicating scientific knowledge into clear guidelines that can be used by policy-makers, natural resource managers and/or the general public.
Outline Of Syllabus
Lectures will be based on up to four of the following topics in ecology, based on expertise of the teaching team including (but not limited to):
• Management of pest and beneficial species in agro-ecosystems
• Marine resource management
• Upland ecology
• Rewilding
• Afforestation and woodland management
• Efficacy and biosafety of GM crops
• Application of network ecology for restoration
• Evidence synthesis
• Biodiversity in agro-ecosystems: multifunctional land-use in farmed landscapes
• Coral reef restoration
A unifying theme is how to effectively communicate at the science-policy interface.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Written assignment |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 18 | 0:30 | 9:00 | Preparation for written assignment |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 1 | 18:00 | 18:00 | >90% course content, all PiP |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 40:00 | 40:00 | Policy brief |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Project presentations |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Roleplay to understand and resolve competing interests of natural resource management |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Fieldwork | 1 | 8:00 | 8:00 | Choice of fieldtrip to focus on one of the topics |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | Online - guidance, consultation and feedback |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 39:00 | 39:00 | Directed Reading |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 18 | 2:00 | 36:00 | Study of lectures and other provided material |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 18 | 1:00 | 18:00 | Lecture follow up |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Module talks |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will include case studies to demonstrate the application of ecological theory in practical contexts. Students will choose one of the topics for further investigation as part of a small-group field trip, use what they have learned for a guided roleplay exercise focussed on ecological practice relevant to that topic (part of the Policy or Management Brief assessment), and learn the skills needed to communicate scientific findings to policy makers.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 40 | Policy or Management Brief 6-8 pages |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 60 | Critique of two key papers, each related to separate topics covered in the lectures (up to 1500 words each) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prob solv exercises | 1 | M | Group roleplay on application of ecological theory to a real-world sustainable development goal problem. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Both assessment methods will give students an opportunity to demonstrate that they have a thorough understanding of both underlying ecological theory, and how this can be applied to real-world situations and broader areas of the module content. Students will be expected to integrate material from multiple lectures, a fieldtrip, a roleplay exercise plus additional study, in order to answer the questions effectively.
The Policy Brief will assess students’ abilities to communicate often complex ecological concepts in clear, concise yet precise language, suitable for non-scientists to understand and make informed decisions.
The Critique of a choice of key papers appropriate to the topics covered will assess the students’ abilities to both describe contemporary ecological theory and evaluate its effectiveness in addressing an applied ecological problem. It will allow the assessment of students’ ability to critically evaluate methodology, types of analysis, scientific limitations and suggested improvements and identify knowledge gaps and future research questions.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES3302's Timetable