Course Objectives

The course will provide field and laboratory experience in the planning, execution, drafting, collaborative writing and presentation of scientific field investigations of wild life and fish stocks, based on various scientific methods.

Course Description

The students will participate in fieldwork on two field biology research projects. The investigations will involve common issues related to fishing methods, video surveillance, analysis and management of wildlife and fish stocks. Typical problems will be estimation of fish stock size, competition between species, the influence of grazing on forest structure and species composition, dietary and habitat options, chemical communication, etc. Finally, students will write a report - alone or together with another student- based on one of the two projects with references to relevant scientific literature in the discussion of the results. Student reports will receive a mid-term evaluation by teachers, and will be presented in plenum to class members for their evaluation. Finally, the report will be presented in plenum for both teachers and class members, and submitted for evaluation.

Learning Methods

Obligatory: 12 hours lectures (4 hours will be taught by recognized researcher from Norway); a 2-day field course (beaver and fish), 2 seminars (oral presentations and discussions) and guidance (10 hours) in data collection, analysis, collaborative writing and presentation of the collected field data. Individual fieldwork entails roughly 80 hours.

Assessment Methods

Before submission of the final report, the mid-term evaluation of the report must have been approved by the teacher.

The final grade will be based upon the field biology research project and the oral presentation.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean