Ecology of Environmental Change

Module title	Ecology of Environmental Change
Module code	BIOM543
Academic year	2021/2
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Dan Bebber (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	5

Description - summary of the module content

Module description

Through this module you will get a science-based insight into the state of the Earth’s ecosystems, the pressures put on them by the continued expansion of human activities and the prospects for sustainability. The module provides you with a good preparation for future citizenship.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to provide you with a better understanding of human impacts on the global environment. You will have the opportunity to evaluate the fundamental science that allows humans to understand their environment.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Assess the scientific evidence for selected aspects of environmental change
2. Critically evaluate selected aspects of environmental regulation and management

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. Evaluate in detail approaches to our understanding of ecology with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles
4. Analyse in detail essential facts and theory in a sub-discipline of the biosciences
5. Analyse and evaluate independently a range of research-informed literature and synthesise research-informed examples from the literature into written work
6. With limited guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the biosciences

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Communicate effectively arguments, evidence and conclusions using written means in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
8. Devise and sustain, with little guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions
9. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data with very limited guidance

Syllabus plan

Topics covered are likely to change yearly to focus on the latest developments and to reflect the expertise of visiting speakers, but coverage may include: climate change, threats to biodiversity, sustainable ecosystem services, biofuels and geoengineering.

Learning and teaching

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	15	Lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	5	Journal clubs
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	3	Data handling guidance, practice, and assessment
Guided Independent Study	128	Guided reading of literature, literature research and revision

Assessment

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
In-lecture data handling practice tests	2 x 15 minutes	All	Self-marking and discussion in class and online model answers

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Literature review	60	3000 words	All	Written
Test (to include data handling)	40	1 hour	All	Written and oral via tutor on request

Re-assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Literature review	Literature review	All	August Ref/Def
Test (to include data handling)	Test (to include data handling)	All	August Ref/Def

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to sit a further examination. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will count for 100% of the final mark and will be capped at 50%.

Resources

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. (http://www.unep.org/maweb/en/index.aspx)
• IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K and Reisinger, A. (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland (http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/contents.html) (See also IPCC Fifth Assessment Report: Synthesis Report due to published October 2014: http://www.ipcc.ch/)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=344

Module has an active ELE page

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• Primary research publications and review articles.

Key words search

Earth’s ecosystems, sustainability

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	06/03/2021
Last revision date	06/03/2021