Component
Faculty of Science
List of courses
Choice of 3 out of 7
Bayesian approach to variability
2 creditsAdvanced multidimensional data mining EXADIM
2 creditsConservation biology
2 creditsImpacts of climate change on organisms, plants and animals
2 creditsEcology of marine and coastal ecosystems
2 credits8hTools and methods for the dynamic study of marine ecosystems
2 credits3hBehavioral ecology
2 credits6h
Bayesian approach to variability
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
1. Bayesian inference: Motivation and simple example.
2. The likelihood.
3. A detour to explore priors.
4. Markov chains Monte Carlo methods (MCMC)
5. Bayesian analyses in R with the Jags software.
6. Contrast scientific hypotheses with model selection (WAIC).
7. Heterogeneity and multilevel models (aka mixed models.
Advanced multidimensional data mining EXADIM
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
The module aims to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of statistical analysis of spatial and temporal constraints: classification and ordering under constraints, '2-table ordering methods and statistical tests: canonical analyses (AFD, CCA, RDA, CAP), 'statistical tests on distance matrices, comparison of matrices (PERMANOVA, Mantel, Procrustes).
Conservation biology
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
The courses present 4 aspects of Conservation Biology, based on current scientific research in this discipline:
- Introduction to Biodiversity Conservation(BC): definition of Conservation Biology. Why conserve biodiversity? Who are the main players in BC and the role of science in BC.
- Species conservation: What are the priority species? How can species be conserved? How do you know if a species is "well conserved"?
- Space conservation: What are the priority spaces? How to conserve spaces?
- Theimportance of social acceptability and political commitment. Need for biodiversity indicators and to measure the impact of conservation.
Students also carry out group work in which they present a BC project, based on the questions: why, what, where, how, how much does it cost and how do we know if it's effective?
Impacts of climate change on organisms, plants and animals
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
The aim of this course is to deepen understanding of key concepts relating to climate change, to illustrate important concepts in ecology and evolution in the light of climate change, in many different ecosystems, and to produce a synthesis of the various scientific and societal questions and issues raised by CC.
Ecology of marine and coastal ecosystems
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
Hourly volume
8h
"I - Physical characterization and biogeochemical cycles of coastal marine ecosystems II - Biodiversity and functioning of coastal marine ecosystems III Coastal and marine law; Uses, conflicts and integrated management of the coastal zone. This course offers students a systemic approach to the study of coastal marine ecosystems from a highly multidisciplinary perspective. The physical structure of these ecosystems will be addressed through courses on their geomorphology and hydrology, with a particular focus on hydric couplings with the open sea and their watersheds. Their biogeochemistry will be addressed, in particular to describe carbon and nutrient flows through the water and sediment compartments. Several aspects of their biodiversity will be illustrated to describe the importance of these ecosystems as living environments for the species they support, and in particular the role of this biodiversity in their functioning. The coastal zone is densely populated by man (40% of the world's population). Particular attention will be paid to human uses (e.g. aquaculture) and their territorial planning, including the evaluation of their ecosystem services in an economic context, management and protection measures (e.g. Marine Protected Areas, Natura 2000), and professionals involved in the management of these environments will present practical feedback. Finally, the implications of the Law of the Sea for the management of coastal zones will be discussed. "
Tools and methods for the dynamic study of marine ecosystems
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
Hourly volume
3h
The module covers the identification, quantification and modeling of interactions between climate, marine species and their exploitation.
Behavioral ecology
ECTS
2 credits
Component
Faculty of Science
Hourly volume
6h
Behavioral Ecology takes an evolutionary approach to the study of behavior, investigating its mechanisms, function and contribution to evolutionary and ecological processes. The work carried out in Behavioral Ecology helps us to understand other phenomena observed in other disciplines of life biology, because all animals, from unicellulars to the most complex vertebrae, exhibit behaviors.
The module exposes students to the various basic concepts, as well as to the multitude of tools likely to be used (observations and experiments on natural populations or captive individuals, comparative analyses, use of modeling tools, ecophysiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, on-board electronics, etc.). Part of the training is based on specific discussions of the research approaches likely to be employed, the tools used and the limits of the inferences that can be made. Students will be expected to play an active role at all these levels, in particular through critical discussions of articles.
Topics range from the exploration of strategies for food provisioning, mate choice, habitat selection and investment in reproduction, to the study of animal communication and the reasons for group living. The historical dimension of the discipline is addressed in the introduction, but also according to the sensibilities of the contributors and the themes addressed (meaning and relationships between 'Animal Behaviour', 'Ethology', Behavioral Ecology etc.).