Course 2024-2025

Aquatic Biodiversity [SBOEM123]

  • 3 credits
  • 12h+24h
  • 1st quarter
Language of instruction: French / Français

Learning outcomes

Understand the taxonomy of freshwater fish and macro-invertebrates (identification of organisms) as well as the functional aspects of diversity (what are the assemblages, and what is their relationship to the environment).
Understand the mechanisms causing the biogeography of phytoplankton and other species
Understand the mechanisms driving plankton diversity (the plankton paradox).
Read, digest, and present scientific documents on the topic of the course;

Objectives

To create insight into the relationship between environmental factors and the diversity of aquatic communities (fish, macro-invertebrates, plankton).

Content

Several aspects will be approached through field and laboratory work: * collection of macroinvertebrates in rivers, identification, analysis of trophic guilds and biological traits * fish sampling in rivers and/or lakes: species identification, estimates of density and biomass, analysis of factors determining community composition. Invited experts will contribute to the training.

Table of contents

Introduction: definitions, motivation of the course
Phytoplankton: biogeography and paradox of the plankton
Macro-invertebrates
Ichtyological aspects

 

Exercises description

Literature synthesis for the phytoplankton part.
Collection of macroinvertebrates and identification, analysis of trophic guilds
Collection of fish in rivers and/or lakes: species identification, density and biomass estimation

 


Teaching methods

Ex-cathedra
 
Reading and discussing the scientific literature
 
Seminars given by invited experts
 
Coding in R
 
Field work.

A combination of recorded lectures and online or real-life Q&A sessions

Evaluations

- Group report, to be defended during personal interviews: 66%
- Oral exam for the 'phytoplankton' part ("open book": 33%). Can be hosted live or on Teams.
 
The final grade is the average of the two parts (phytoplankton and fish/MI). In the event of failure (final mark < 10), the part for which the student obtained a mark > 10 must not be retaken in the second session, there is therefore a partial exemption for the successful part within of the academic year. Partial exemptions are valid only within the academic year: the grade for the passed part in year n will therefore not be transferred to year n+1.
 
If a student decides to sign for the exam (wants to get an attendance mark), she/he does so for the entire course. It is impossible to sign for a game.

Recommended readings

Various scientific papers .
Powerpoint slides
All these materials can be found on WebCampus

Language of instruction

French / Français

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté des sciences
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Master's Degree