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BB20041: Field course

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2012/3
Follow this link for further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Biology & Biochemistry
Follow this link for further information on credits Credits: 6
Follow this link for further information on unit levels Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Follow this link for further information on period slots Period: Semester 2
Follow this link for further information on unit assessment Assessment: CW 100%
Follow this link for further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Follow this link for further information on unit rules Requisites: Before taking this unit you must take BB10012 and take BB20040
Follow this link for further information on unit content Description: Aims:
To introduce the student to natural habitats in ways that enable the student to recognise patterns of distribution and behaviour of organisms and to question the basis of these patterns and behaviours. To introduce the student to the use of appropriate sampling patterns, experimental design, data gathering and statistical analysis.

Learning Outcomes:
After taking this course the student should be able to:
* describe and explain how aspects of behavioural ecology and of community structure can be investigated;
* explain how these behaviours and structure may have arisen and how they are maintained;
* design and perform a short field-based investigation; analyse and graphically present data;
* prepare a written report of field-based investigations.

Skills:
Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Oral communication T/F/A, Numeracy & computation T/F/A, Information technology T/F, Problem solving T/F, Working independently T/F.

Content:
Visit to ecosystem types of varying complexity and subject to different kinds of selection process. These include rocky shore, sand dune, coastal grassland, woodland and moorland. Investigation of components of these ecosystem types including spatial distribution, size and age distributions, reproduction and behaviour. Each student designs and carries out a two-day field-based investigation. A report, including an account of this investigation, is completed during the course. A short talk about the investigation is presented on the last day of the field trip. Students are required to make a financial contribution to the field trip (currently �175). Since the course must be run more than once to accommodate all of the students wishing to do it, students are required to be available for any of the courses which will usually be held out of term-time (usually the two weeks of the Easter vacation and the first week of the summer vacation).
Follow this link for further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

BB20041 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Biology & Biochemistry
  • USBB-AFB03 : BSc (hons) Biology (Full-time) - Year 2
  • USBB-AKB07 : BSc (hons) Biology with Professional Placement (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • TSBB-AFM08 : MSc Evolutionary and Population Biology (Full-time) - Year 1
Programmes in Natural Sciences
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences (Full-time) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with Industrial Placement (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences (Full-time) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with Professional Placement (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 2
Department of Psychology
  • UHPS-AKB03 : BSc (hons) Psychology (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2

Notes:
* This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2012/13 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2013/14 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2012/13.
* Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.
* Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.