ECTS
4 credits
Training Structure
College of Sciences
List of Courses
Choose one of the following two options:
Ecology: Issues and Controversies
4 credits6hSoil Ecology and Biogeochemical Cycles
4 credits
Ecology: Issues and Controversies
ECTS
4 credits
Training Structure
College of Sciences
Number of hours
6h
This course unit addresses questions surrounding ecosystem management from the perspective of the social sciences, and more specifically “science studies.” It aims to help develop a general understanding of the relationship between ecological sciences and society, and to equip participants with the tools to analyze social issues and the underlying socioscientific controversies. The first part of the course provides the conceptual and methodological framework necessary for introducing a reflective tool for analyzing the interactions of actors and the (epistemological and axiological) arguments involved in socioscientific controversies, and illustrates this tool using current examples. Subsequently, thematic presentations by researchers in ecology highlight a variety of issues surrounding the ecological sciences and serve as a basis for students to apply and master the reflective analytical tool. Students are thus assessed on their ability to use this analytical framework to take an individual and well-reasoned position in controversies related to the ecological sciences.
Soil Ecology and Biogeochemical Cycles
ECTS
4 credits
Training Structure
College of Sciences
The educational objective of this course unit is to provide an overview of the major soil types on a global scale, explain their formation, and identify the mineral phases or primary abiotic factors that may regulate biological activity in soils. Based on this analysis, the various soil organisms (microorganisms, micro-, meso-, and macrofauna) will be presented, along with their interactions, in order to contextualize the cycles of organic matter and mineral elements in the soil across different temporal and spatial scales. The concepts of recycling, the closure of biogeochemical cycles, and the principles governing community assembly will also be addressed. This course unit is organized around lectures and presentations, as well as tutorial sessions and fieldwork.