lök390 - Experimental designs in ecological field studies (Course overview)

• Basic courses of Ecology (1st and 2nd semesters LÖK)
• Skills in determining aquatic organisms, e.g. via Bachelor modules
o Knowledge of forms
o Running water ecology
o Aquatic habitats
o Master course in the module “Aquatic Ecology“
o Comparable courses at other universities

Independent literature research on specific questions and methods by students.

as agreed

Oral examination or housework
1) oral or written presentation of the method design
2) documentation of experimental procedure, data analysis and data processing
3) oral or written subject-specific analysis of the planning in respect of the relevant questions and elaborated hypotheses
4) interdisciplinary analysis of the experiments (oral or in writing)

- Qualification to independently plan field experiments suitable for answering current ecological questions (individuals, populations, communities)
- Methodological competence/independence in performing field experiments
- Qualification to independently analyse the experiments in the laboratory guided by hypotheses and using adequate methods, materials and statistical methods
- Competence in presenting results on a scientific level (scientific report presenting and discussing the method; scientific publication; both in English)
- Impartment of manifold methodological skills in the field of aquatic ecology, experimental field research (autecological, population-ecological and synecological research approaches)
- Impartment of extended expertise in planning experiments in general and their analysis in the field of animal ecology (application and linking of acquired skills; generalisable knowledge)
- Practical experience in analysing field experiments in general (comprising laboratory phases, access to literature and databases, preparation of scientific publications)
- Preparation of Master and Ph.D. theses requiring skills in experimental field research