Naturalist specialization 1

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

After a general introductory course, two areas of study will be offered in parallel. One will focus on Mediterranean flora, the other on fauna (amphibians, reptiles, and birds).

Flora

The French Mediterranean coastline is home to more than two-thirds of the flora found in mainland France. This course provides an introduction to this exceptional diversity and the underlying mechanisms. It is designed to enable students to 1. describe a plant in order to identify the characteristics useful for identification, and 2. use different identification tools and understand their strengths and limitations. The course will incorporate innovative teaching approaches, combining the use of traditional tools (paper flora) and digital tools (FloreNum, PlantNet), in order to enable learning tailored to the student's knowledge (from beginner to knowledgeable amateur). Species identification will form the basis for studying their biology and ecology and for addressing the concepts of evolution and phylogeny. To this end, workshops will be held in parallel with practical sessions: 1. construction of a morphological classification to be compared with traditional classifications (morphological and phylogenetic), 2. introduction to species ecology through a habitat-based approach, and 3. diachronic study of developmental biology by monitoring the growth of wild species planted under controlled conditions.

Animals

The objective is for students to acquire/deepen their knowledge of the biology of birds, amphibians, and reptiles, which are models of choice in fundamental ecology (ethology, evolutionary ecology, functional ecology), applied ecology (conservation biology), and environmental education/teaching. Beyond species identification, this area of study will address the evolution and systematics of these taxa, their physiology, and their ecological and behavioral characteristics.

Each group (Fauna - Flora) will have 12 hours of fieldwork available (half of which will be shared by both groups) to be carried out according to terms to be defined (four half-day outings or two full-day outings). Practical work may be carried out on university sites (university campus - Labex CEMEB experimental field at CEFE - Botanical Garden) that are suitable for studying the various organisms.

Cross-cutting concept

The EU is organized around a concept common to both TP groups which, through a flipped classroom approach, will enable students to use the species observed to identify key concepts in conservation biology. In S4, the focus will be on distribution (chorology) and the concept of rarity at different spatial scales. These concepts will support methodological questions relating in particular to the estimation of organism abundance. To this end, at the end of the sequence, students will present a taxon of their choice, from among those proposed in the EU, which illustrates the concept of distribution.

- have taken the L1 naturalist course (preferable but not mandatory)

- Highly recommended: naturalist experience in a naturalist association beyond GNUM.

Assessment methods:

Knowledge:

- Understanding the tools used to describe biodiversity, from genes to the biosphere

- Understand and know how to implement the various approaches and tools used in evolutionary biology and ecology: observation, sampling, experimentation, and statistical analysis.

- Understand the applications of organismal biology, evolutionary biology, and ecology (health, agronomy, conservation, restoration)

- Understand the mechanisms and processes that drive biodiversity

 Expertise:

- Know how to search for and extract information critically, prioritize information sources and identify their reliability, and synthesize them.

- Know how to give an oral presentation and write a scientific report, using illustrations and a presentation tailored to the audience, with the help of appropriate IT tools.

- Ability to successfully complete a project within a group

- Describe an organism and understand how morphological characteristics can be used to identify species [outside the reference framework]

Interpersonal skills:

- Respect others as well as the equipment and organizations you work with.

- Be able to self-assess and question oneself in order to learn