CHOICE2

The objective of this course is to introduce the concepts and tools necessary to observe and describe minerals and magmatic and metamorphic rocks and to understand their genesis. The course will begin with an introduction to the concepts of mineralogy (crystallography, crystallochemistry) and the tools needed to identify the minerals that make up magmatic and metamorphic rocks. You will then study the structure and nature of the mantle as well as the processes involved from the formation of magmas to the eruption of magmatic rocks: partial melting processes, crystallization, crustal assimilation, magmatic mixing. You will learn to distinguish the different magmatic series by their chemical compositions and physical properties. The link between eruptive processes, hazards and volcanic risks will also be discussed. In a third part, we will introduce the main variables (pressure, temperature, time) and the different geodynamic contexts of metamorphism. We will see the different metamorphic facies, structures and textures of metamorphic rocks, and you will learn to recognize mineral reactions and interpret them in terms of metamorphic evolution.

The coupled study of magmatic and metamorphic rocks will provide the basis for understanding issues related to the geodynamics of the inner Earth, geochemical cycles, mineral resources ...

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The UE approaches the history of plants, on the one hand in a diachronic way, by studying each of the great geological periods (Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic), and on the other hand, in a transversal way, by deepening certain methods of study of the paleoenvironments (macroflora, palynology, climate, geochemistry, biomechanics).

After an introductory lecture, the lectures present the history of plants by major geological period (Lecture 2 - 3: Paleozoic; Lecture 4 - 5: Mesozoic; Lecture 6 - 8: Cenozoic) and cross-cutting approaches (Lecture 9 - 10: Isotope geochemistry; Lecture 11 - 12: Biomechanics).

The practical exercises illustrate, on the basis of the study of fossil records, examples of paleoenvironmental reconstitution: Practical exercise 1, Paleozoic macroflora (Graissessac); Practical exercise 2-3, Early Pleistocene macroflora (Bernasso); Practical exercise 4, Recent Pleistocene pollen (La Gourre); Practical exercise 5, Holocene geochemistry.

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The objective of this course is to understand the mechanisms used by organisms to cope with the constraints of the aquatic environment. Using animal (mollusks, crustaceans, fish) and plant (macro- and microalgae, aquatic angiosperms) models, this course will address the different dimensions of the adaptive biology of organisms, ranging from acclimatization and adaptation to change, to physiological limits and optimization of phenotypic traits in response to environmental constraints. This EU aims to study: 

- major concepts and approaches in ecophysiology ;

- ecophysiological responses (from gene expression to organism performance and behavior) using various aquatic ecosystems (intertidal, estuarine, polar, cavernicolous and abyssal) as examples;

- the integration of structure-function relationships in a given environmental context.

On a practical level, this course will allow students to study the functioning of organisms through simple physiological measurements and to learn how to set up experiments. Presentations of scientific articles chosen by the teachers will complete the knowledge acquired in class. 

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This course presents the biology of eukaryotic parasitic organisms, taking into account their diversity. We will deal with unicellulars as well as vertebrates.

In addition to the physiological, anatomical and morphological aspects, a great deal of attention will be paid to the description of their life cycles, which imperatively require a transmission phase to an obligatory host.

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The objective is to provide students with knowledge on the biology, ecology and evolution of three taxonomic groups in question. Beyond the identification of species (which will be largely addressed), this course will deal with the evolution and systematics of the taxonomic group in question, fundamental ecology (evolutionary and functional ecology), applied ecology (conservation), physiology, legislation as well as methods of study and identification.

After a general introduction course, 2 axes of work will be proposed in parallel. One will focus on the Mediterranean flora, the other on the fauna (amphibians, reptiles and birds).

Flora

The French Mediterranean region contains more than 2/3 of the richness of the flora of metropolitan France. This course is an introduction to this exceptional diversity and to the underlying mechanisms. It is designed to enable students to 1. describe a plant in order to identify useful characteristics and 2. use different identification tools and understand their strengths and limitations. The teaching will integrate innovative pedagogical approaches, by coupling the use of traditional tools (paper flora) and digital tools (FloreNum, PlantNet), in order to allow a learning adapted to the knowledge of the student (from the beginner to the informed amateur). The identification of species will constitute a basis to study their biology, their ecology and to approach the concepts of evolution and phylogeny. For this, workshops will be conducted in parallel with the practical sessions: 1. construction of a morphological classification to be compared with the classical classifications (morphological and phylogenetic), 2. introduction to the ecology of species through a habitat approach, and 3. diachronic study of developmental biology by monitoring the growth of wild species planted under controlled conditions.

Animals

The objective is for the student to acquire/improve a body of knowledge on the biology of birds, amphibians and reptiles, which constitute models of choice in fundamental ecology (ethology, evolutionary ecology, functional ecology), applied ecology (conservation biology) and environmental education/teaching. Beyond the identification of species, this axis of work will deal with the evolution and systematics of these taxa, their physiology, their ecological and behavioral particularities.

Each group (Fauna - Flora) will have at its disposal 12 hours of field trips (half of which will be common to both groups) to be carried out according to modalities to be defined (4 half-day trips, or 2 long one-day trips). The practical work could be set up on sites of the university (university campus - Labex CEMEB experimental field at the CEFE - Botanical Garden) favourable to the study of the various organisms.

Cross-cutting concept

The UE is organized around a notion common to both groups of practical work which, through a reversed class, will allow to start from the observed species in order to identify central concepts in conservation biology. In S4, the distribution (chorology) and the notion of rarity at different spatial scales will be addressed. These notions will support methodological questions concerning the estimation of the abundance of organisms. For this, the students will present at the end of the sequence a taxon of their choice, among those proposed in the UE, which illustrates the notion of distribution.

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The aim of the course is to link knowledge of biology and physiology with demography and population evolution. This approach aims to lay the groundwork for conservation biology, by providing elements to predict how organisms and populations of animals and plants respond to ecosystem changes and stressors.

Educational forms:

Tutorials in the form of presentation and discussion of scientific data or in a "reversed" form with interventions of small groups, projects by groups in autonomy, analyses of concrete cases of restoration;

TD1 : presentation of the UE : concepts, activities, pedagogical forms. Establishment of the program of the reversed TD

TD2: Ecophysiology and environmental physiology (definitions); case studies (invasive species, reintroductions, ecological management)

TD3: Analysis of the consequences of major pollution (marine and terrestrial), ecological engineering, passive and active biomonitoring tools.

TD4 to 16: In a "reversed" form (students in an "active" position, complements by the teacher), a series of interventions aiming at setting up

- the links between biology and life strategy on the one hand and life history traits on the other, taking several characteristic examples (animal and plant species, generalist/specialist species, rare - types of rarity - or widespread or even invasive species);

- the construction of the demography of a population

- changes in the demographics of a population as a result of various disturbances, including long-term disturbances affecting the population's ability to change.

Two TD sessions (3h in total): analysis of different conservation and biomonitoring strategies taking into account knowledge of organism physiology as well as ecological and behavioral particularities. Research & analysis of documents, synthesis and restitution of studies in oral discussion

Practical work: plant ecophysiological analyses, animal ecophysiological analyses with non-invasive approaches (behavior, physiological and bioenergetic analyses).

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