CPES SV S6 Biology and Ecology profile CHOICE 1

This course provides an introduction to the ecology of continental freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems, as well as to the interface environments between these two compartments, namely mangroves, estuaries, and deltas.  They will be approached from the perspective of both their structure and their functioning, emphasizing their similarities and differences, as well as the abiotic and biotic factors that govern the organization of the communities of organisms that inhabit them.

They should provide an overview of these ecosystems or hydrosystems and how they function at various scales.

The first part of the course is devoted entirely to theoretical teaching, while the second part consists of introductory sessions to field trips, the field trips themselves, and practical sessions in which the data collected in the field is analyzed and shared.

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Molecular tools are an integral part of studies aimed at describing and characterizing biodiversity. The EU will aim to present various molecular approaches (barcoding, metabarcoding, environmental DNA, etc.) that enable (1) the description, characterization, and quantification of this diversity at intra- or interspecific, population, or ecosystem levels, and (2) the presentation of their areas of application at different timescales and spatial scales. The EU will incorporate practical aspects aimed at learning about and implementing these techniques, analyzing the resulting data, and reporting on them. Group work in interaction with researchers and teacher-researchers will be prioritized.

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ORPAL is an ecology course in APP (1/3 fieldwork and 2/3 lab work). Based on ecological concepts and methods, this course aims to explore historical ecology (the study of interactions between humans and their environment over varying time periods) and its main applications in paleoecology, from defining the issue field sampling, data acquisition, to interpretation and writing a scientific article (see https://biologie-ecologie.com/exemples-travaux/). This course is an interesting theoretical and experimental prerequisite for the ACCES, CEPAGE, PALEONTOLOGY, ECOSYSTEMS, or BIOGET programs.

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Adaptations to the "parasitic" lifestyle are studied across all parasitic organisms (viruses, bacteria, eukaryotes), including different scales of analysis "from molecules to populations."

Thus, the co-evolution between hosts and parasites will be considered from the perspective of molecular and cellular host-parasite interactions (immunity, escape, exploitation of host resources, etc.), but also from the perspective of the morpho-anatomical structures involved in adaptation to the intra-host site or in survival in the external environment, and finally from the perspective of behavioral adaptations for encountering the host (promotion).

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One of the goals of this course unit is to synthesize concepts and knowledge acquired in animal biology (anatomy, systematics) and ecology in order to describe and understand the morphology and evolution of vertebrate morphologies. In addition to covering current groups, this course will focus heavily on extinct fossil groups, particularly their contribution to understanding the various eco-morphological adaptations (e.g., acquisition or return to aquatic life, acquisition of flight) that have marked the evolutionary history of clades.

This course also aims to provide theoretical and practical foundations in phylogenetics (cladistics) for tracing the evolution of a clade (distance, parsimony, and likelihood methods), based on both molecular and phenotypic characters (current and fossil).

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Introduce students to an integrated approach to plants by studying the morphological and anatomical characteristics of stems and roots. Help them discover the coordinated spatial and temporal construction of root and stem architectures through adaptations of Mediterranean and tropical species. Reproductive structures and the diversity of biological types will also be taken into account. This course unit is designed to prepare students for the BioGET Master's program and draws on the natural environment and local and regional infrastructure (Amazonian Greenhouse, Villa Thuret, Château La Pérouse Garden).

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