M2 - Dual Specialization in Ecology and Biodiversity Management (Biodiv'In) - Apprenticeship Program

This course unit begins during the orientation seminar.

During this course unit, students will participate in the planning and implementation of two major annual events in the field of ecology: the Biodiversity Festival (Festi’Versité) and the National Biodiversity Fair (SNB). Since 2008, these events have served to bring together, connect with, and raise awareness of all stakeholders in the professional ecology sector in France.

Working in collaboration with partner organizations (OFB, F-CEN, UPGE, F-CPIE, UM, CNRS, local governments, etc.) and the professional organizing body, students serve as project management assistants for the two events, filling various roles based on their motivations, interests, and abilities (experience, skills, and available training programs) alongside volunteers from other programs (BTS): recruiting and welcoming attendees and speakers, media relations, communications, safety (fire safety, first aid), logistics, fundraising, environmental sustainability… Positions are advertised through job descriptions, and students apply for them during the master’s program orientation seminar.

Organized by an ad hoc structure (currently being established) and under the direction of a steering committee comprising their key stakeholders, these two events involve the participation of students in the Environmental Management master’s program at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Montpellier as part of their coursework and through their student organizations.

- Festi’Versité, the biodiversity festival. It aims to raise awareness and educate the general public about environmental issues through activities, performances, games, lectures, film screenings, and photography exhibitions. It takes place over a weekend in late October or early November at the Montpellier Zoo.

- The National Biodiversity Fair. Serving as a career and training forum, a scientific and technical conference, and a professional networking event, it features lectures and roundtable discussions, scientific and technical presentations, as well as recruitment opportunities and professional exchanges. The fair takes place over two days in January at the Montpellier Exhibition Center.

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The expansion of the urban environment leads to the fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats, conservation challenges, and a shift in the relationship between humans and nature. However, urban areas can also harbor significant biodiversity in close proximity to humans, which can then be utilized for conservation, public awareness, improving human well-being, and even therapeutic purposes. It is a challenge to work in ecology while ignoring the existence and consequences of the urban environment and its unique characteristics. The goal of this course unit is to help future ecology professionals find compromises between urban development and respect for nature. Through lectures delivered by a variety of professionals and a field trip to Montpellier, students will discover where (nonprofits, consulting firms, local governments, etc.), with whom, and how an ecologist can work in the field of urban ecology.

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"This course unit consists of three main sections: I—Physical Characterization and Biogeochemical Cycles of Coastal Marine Ecosystems; II—Biodiversity and Functioning of Coastal Marine Ecosystems; III—Coastal and Maritime Law; Uses, Conflicts, and Integrated Management of the Coastal Zone. This course unit 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 particular emphasis on water interactions with the open sea and their watersheds. Their biogeochemistry will be examined, notably to describe carbon and nutrient fluxes through the water and sediment compartments. Various aspects of their biodiversity will be illustrated to highlight the importance of these ecosystems as habitats for dependent species, with particular emphasis on the role of this biodiversity in their functioning. The coastal zone is densely populated by humans (40% of the world’s population). Particular attention will be given to human uses (e.g., aquaculture) and their spatial planning, including the assessment of their ecosystem services in an economic context, management and protection measures (e.g., Marine Protected Areas, Natura 2000), and professionals involved in managing these environments will share concrete experiences. Finally, the implications of the law of the sea for the management of the littoral and coastal zones will be covered."

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The courses cover four aspects of conservation biology, drawing on current scientific research in this field:  

1. Introduction to Biodiversity Conservation(BC): Definition of Conservation Biology. Why conserve biodiversity? Who are the key players in BC, and what is the role of science in BC? 
2. Species Conservation: Which species are priorities? How can we conserve species? How do we know if a species is “well conserved”? 
3. Conservation of Areas: Which areas are priorities? How can we conserve these areas? 
4. Does Conservation Work?The Importance of Social Acceptance and Political Commitment. The Need for Biodiversity Indicators and for Measuring the Impact of Conservation. 

Students also work in groups to present a community library project, addressing the following questions: Why, what, where, how, how much does it cost, and how can we tell if it’s effective? 

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River Engineering, River Morphology, Hydraulic Modeling, Flow, Hydraulic Structures and Works, Flooding, Impacts and Compensation
. Discipline: Free-Surface Hydraulics

This course unit is designed to help students acquire solid skills in hydraulic modeling. Students will learn the equations of free-surface hydraulics in both steady-state and transient conditions. They learn to translate field observations into hydraulic models by taking topographic and hydrometric measurements, observing indicators of hydraulic activity (flood marks, hydrogeomorphological features, hydraulic jumps, etc.), and subsequently formulating in situ hypotheses regarding river behavior.
Several scales can be explored in depth depending on the chosen topic: the habitat scale, the developed reach scale, and the flooding watercourse scale. For each scale, students can study and incorporate specific structures into their models (fish passes, side spillways, weirs, levees, dams, etc.). The impacts of development, maintenance, and structures are simulated and analyzed in terms of hydrodynamics and hydraulic continuity.
The study is conducted using a single real-world case, from the fieldwork phase through modeling to the presentation of the impacts of the developments. The work is done in groups.

A field trip allows students to analyze a site and represent it in a topographic and hydraulic model. Hypotheses about how the site functions in situ are formulated and then compared with the models and results.

Finally, the EU offers learners an analysis based on a real-world case of a watercourse development or intervention, including an assessment of the initial condition, an analysis of the intervention’s impacts, and proposals for hydraulic compensation measures, if applicable.

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Sustainable development, ERC unit, green, blue, and turquoise corridors.

The aim is to present the regulatory and technical frameworks for integrating environmental considerations into projects, plans, and programs. The “Avoid, Reduce, Offset” approach—including its challenges and the stakeholders involved—will be presented, discussed, and illustrated. The green and blue infrastructure networks and their interface with the turquoise infrastructure network will be analyzed as tools for improving biodiversity conservation in land management and planning operations.
Learners will be expected to take a step back and critically evaluate the methods and expertise used to apply this ERC sequence in various fields related to plans, developments, and programs that have an impact on the environment.

A field visit provides an opportunity to meet with stakeholders, learn about the ERC initiatives being implemented, and draw conclusions and identify future directions.

The applications will focus on the turquoise framework linking the Biodiversity Act and the Water Act dossier, as well as on the ERC implementation of the land-use planning dossier.

The EU finally offers learners a genuine critical analysis of skills and the development of innovative and inclusive solutions.

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Behavioral ecology approaches the study of behavior from an evolutionary perspective to examine its mechanisms, function, and the role behavior plays in evolutionary and ecological processes. Research in behavioral ecology helps us understand other phenomena observed in other disciplines of biology, since all animals—from single-celled organisms to the most complex vertebrates—exhibit behavior.

The module exposes students to various basic concepts, as well as the wide range of tools that may be used (observations and experiments in natural populations or on captive individuals, comparative analyses, the use of modeling tools, ecophysiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, embedded electronics, etc.). Part of the course focuses on specific discussions of potential research approaches, the tools used, and the limitations of the inferences that can be drawn. Students will be expected to participate actively at these various levels, particularly through critical discussions of research articles.

The topics covered range from the exploration of food-foraging strategies, mate selection, habitat choice, and investment in reproduction to the study of animal communication and the reasons for living in groups. The historical dimension of the discipline is addressed in the introduction, but also depending on the instructors’ perspectives and the specific topics covered (the meanings and relationships between “Animal Behavior,” “Ethology,” “Behavioral Ecology,” etc.).

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Aquatic Environment Management and Flood Prevention
Field: Ecology, Hydraulics

This course allows students to immerse themselves in a real-world case study in the field, within the scope of GEMAPI. Students will meet with stakeholders and managers at the study site to gain an understanding of the challenges and complexity of the area. Student groups will work on a concrete project to integrate aquatic environment management with flood prevention in a way that respects ecology, the environment, and people. This course will provide an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses (ecology, hydraulics, legislation, land-use planning, etc.).

The study is conducted using a single real-world case, from the fieldwork phase through modeling, analysis, and collaborative management, all the way to the presentation of the impacts of the developments. The work is done in groups.

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The purpose of this course unit is to provide knowledge in the areas of law and governance related to land-use planning, the consideration of biodiversity in environmental law, and raising awareness among managers regarding the ontologies of society’s relationships with living organisms. This course unit is particularly useful for future environmental managers, both at the national level and within local governments.

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This course unit is based on the same educational project as the “Ecology Fair-1” course unit: the organization of and participation in the two events “Festi’Versité” and “National Ecology Fair ” (see the “Ecology Fair-1” course description).

What sets the “Salon de l’écologie-2” course apart is the roles and responsibilities students assume as they assist the project owners and project managers of the two events. In this course unit, they hold leadership positions as officers of one of the partner student associations: president, treasurer, communications manager, logistics manager, sustainability manager, festival manager, conference manager, and forum manager. They will coordinate the highlights of the events, the activities of the various teams, and the work of the students and volunteers involved in the implementation through the course unit “Ecology Fair 1.”

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This module covers topics related to identifying, quantifying, and modeling the interactions between climate, marine species, and their exploitation.

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The objectives of this learning unit are to explore key concepts related to climate change, to illustrate important concepts in ecology and evolution in the context of climate change across a wide range of ecosystems, and to synthesize the various scientific and societal issues and challenges posed by climate change.

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Climate Change, Global Changes, Future Projections, Adaptation, Resilience, Hydrological Modeling, Future Climate Simulation, Water Availability, Extreme Events, Impacts on Ecosystems, Ecological Issues

This course introduces students to the climate, environmental, and anthropogenic changes that are affecting—and will continue to affect—our hydro-eco-socio-systems today and in the future.

The activities focus on certain—though not exhaustive—aspects of this vast field, in which knowledge is constantly evolving.

Beyond simply presenting the issues, figures, and concepts, students learn to use hydrological modeling tools to develop future scenarios for resource trends. They analyze a specific topic by integrating various disciplines and approaches. They discuss possible adaptations to address the impacts of change.

The activities consist of three parts: coursework, modeling, and bibliography.

- The course covers the principles of climate modeling, the development of climate change scenarios, and their limitations. The orders of magnitude of the major changes are outlined, along with the key challenges of sustainable development, climate change, and global changes. Special attention is given to France’s Mediterranean watersheds (a climate change hotspot, declining water availability, agricultural practices and adaptations, irrigation, tourism, etc.).

- The course covers the concepts of hydrological modeling and calibration in non-stationary or sparsely gauged contexts and provides an introduction to hydrological modeling through a practical application. Students work with general hydrological models (such as GR, HEC-HMS, or WEAP) to estimate flows and water balances, input data from climate models, generate future flow and water balance scenarios, and critically evaluate the resulting scenarios. The modeling work, conducted in small groups, is presented orally.

- Finally, the bibliography compiled in class and supplemented independently should enable students to specialize in a specific case study of a change occurring in a compartment of a natural or urbanized hydro-ecosystem (of the students’ choosing). They conduct a literature review to identify the societal or environmental issues arising from these changes, as well as the scientific questions inherent in implementing measures to reduce their impacts or to adapt to them. They must identify how their case study is similar to other cases, but also how it differs from them. Finally, they extend their analysis to a more general methodology that can be applied to other case studies characterizing these changes, their impacts, and adaptation measures. The students write

a concise, practical summary (bibliography, similar case studies, controversies, practical tools, protocols, orders of magnitude). They then present their findings to the class.

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The objective of this course is to introduce students to:
1. how communications departments operate within various types of organizations involved in research, scientific culture, or its applications (research institutes, local governments, associations, NGOs, companies, etc.)
2. the methodology for developing a communications strategy and plan, as well as a press kit.
The course will be based on presentations by heads of communications departments from various organizations and on tutorials that will guide students in analyzing and designing communication strategies and plans, as well as drafting press kits based on real-world projects submitted by the communications department representatives.

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The expansion of the urban environment leads to the fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats, conservation challenges, and a shift in the relationship between humans and nature. However, urban areas can also harbor significant biodiversity in close proximity to humans, which can then be utilized for conservation, public awareness, improving human well-being, and even therapeutic purposes. It is a challenge to work in ecology while ignoring the existence and consequences of the urban environment and its unique characteristics. The goal of this course unit is to help future ecology professionals find compromises between urban development and respect for nature. Through lectures delivered by a variety of professionals and a field trip to Montpellier, students will discover where (nonprofits, consulting firms, local governments, etc.), with whom, and how an ecologist can work in the field of urban ecology.

View the full page

View the full page

"This course unit consists of three main sections: I—Physical Characterization and Biogeochemical Cycles of Coastal Marine Ecosystems; II—Biodiversity and Functioning of Coastal Marine Ecosystems; III—Coastal and Maritime Law; Uses, Conflicts, and Integrated Management of the Coastal Zone. This course unit 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 particular emphasis on water interactions with the open sea and their watersheds. Their biogeochemistry will be examined, notably to describe carbon and nutrient fluxes through the water and sediment compartments. Various aspects of their biodiversity will be illustrated to highlight the importance of these ecosystems as habitats for dependent species, with particular emphasis on the role of this biodiversity in their functioning. The coastal zone is densely populated by humans (40% of the world’s population). Particular attention will be given to human uses (e.g., aquaculture) and their spatial planning, including the assessment of their ecosystem services in an economic context, management and protection measures (e.g., Marine Protected Areas, Natura 2000), and professionals involved in managing these environments will share concrete experiences. Finally, the implications of the law of the sea for the management of the littoral and coastal zones will be covered."

View the full page

View the full page

The courses cover four aspects of conservation biology, drawing on current scientific research in this field:  

1. Introduction to Biodiversity Conservation(BC): Definition of Conservation Biology. Why conserve biodiversity? Who are the key players in BC, and what is the role of science in BC? 
2. Species Conservation: Which species are priorities? How can we conserve species? How do we know if a species is “well conserved”? 
3. Conservation of Areas: Which areas are priorities? How can we conserve these areas? 
4. Does Conservation Work?The Importance of Social Acceptance and Political Commitment. The Need for Biodiversity Indicators and for Measuring the Impact of Conservation. 

Students also work in groups to present a community library project, addressing the following questions: Why, what, where, how, how much does it cost, and how can we tell if it’s effective? 

View the full page

River Engineering, River Morphology, Hydraulic Modeling, Flow, Hydraulic Structures and Works, Flooding, Impacts and Compensation
. Discipline: Free-Surface Hydraulics

This course unit is designed to help students acquire solid skills in hydraulic modeling. Students will learn the equations of free-surface hydraulics in both steady-state and transient conditions. They learn to translate field observations into hydraulic models by taking topographic and hydrometric measurements, observing indicators of hydraulic activity (flood marks, hydrogeomorphological features, hydraulic jumps, etc.), and subsequently formulating in situ hypotheses regarding river behavior.
Several scales can be explored in depth depending on the chosen topic: the habitat scale, the developed reach scale, and the flooding watercourse scale. For each scale, students can study and incorporate specific structures into their models (fish passes, side spillways, weirs, levees, dams, etc.). The impacts of development, maintenance, and structures are simulated and analyzed in terms of hydrodynamics and hydraulic continuity.
The study is conducted using a single real-world case, from the fieldwork phase through modeling to the presentation of the impacts of the developments. The work is done in groups.

A field trip allows students to analyze a site and represent it in a topographic and hydraulic model. Hypotheses about how the site functions in situ are formulated and then compared with the models and results.

Finally, the EU offers learners an analysis based on a real-world case of a watercourse development or intervention, including an assessment of the initial condition, an analysis of the intervention’s impacts, and proposals for hydraulic compensation measures, if applicable.

View the full page

Sustainable development, ERC unit, green, blue, and turquoise corridors.

The aim is to present the regulatory and technical frameworks for integrating environmental considerations into projects, plans, and programs. The “Avoid, Reduce, Offset” approach—including its challenges and the stakeholders involved—will be presented, discussed, and illustrated. The green and blue infrastructure networks and their interface with the turquoise infrastructure network will be analyzed as tools for improving biodiversity conservation in land management and planning operations.
Learners will be expected to take a step back and critically evaluate the methods and expertise used to apply this ERC sequence in various fields related to plans, developments, and programs that have an impact on the environment.

A field visit provides an opportunity to meet with stakeholders, learn about the ERC initiatives being implemented, and draw conclusions and identify future directions.

The applications will focus on the turquoise framework linking the Biodiversity Act and the Water Act dossier, as well as on the ERC implementation of the land-use planning dossier.

The EU finally offers learners a genuine critical analysis of skills and the development of innovative and inclusive solutions.

View the full page

Behavioral ecology approaches the study of behavior from an evolutionary perspective to examine its mechanisms, function, and the role behavior plays in evolutionary and ecological processes. Research in behavioral ecology helps us understand other phenomena observed in other disciplines of biology, since all animals—from single-celled organisms to the most complex vertebrates—exhibit behavior.

The module exposes students to various basic concepts, as well as the wide range of tools that may be used (observations and experiments in natural populations or on captive individuals, comparative analyses, the use of modeling tools, ecophysiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, embedded electronics, etc.). Part of the course focuses on specific discussions of potential research approaches, the tools used, and the limitations of the inferences that can be drawn. Students will be expected to participate actively at these various levels, particularly through critical discussions of research articles.

The topics covered range from the exploration of food-foraging strategies, mate selection, habitat choice, and investment in reproduction to the study of animal communication and the reasons for living in groups. The historical dimension of the discipline is addressed in the introduction, but also depending on the instructors’ perspectives and the specific topics covered (the meanings and relationships between “Animal Behavior,” “Ethology,” “Behavioral Ecology,” etc.).

View the full page

Aquatic Environment Management and Flood Prevention
Field: Ecology, Hydraulics

This course allows students to immerse themselves in a real-world case study in the field, within the scope of GEMAPI. Students will meet with stakeholders and managers at the study site to gain an understanding of the challenges and complexity of the area. Student groups will work on a concrete project to integrate aquatic environment management with flood prevention in a way that respects ecology, the environment, and people. This course will provide an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses (ecology, hydraulics, legislation, land-use planning, etc.).

The study is conducted using a single real-world case, from the fieldwork phase through modeling, analysis, and collaborative management, all the way to the presentation of the impacts of the developments. The work is done in groups.

View the full page

The purpose of this course unit is to provide knowledge in the areas of law and governance related to land-use planning, the consideration of biodiversity in environmental law, and raising awareness among managers regarding the ontologies of society’s relationships with living organisms. This course unit is particularly useful for future environmental managers, both at the national level and within local governments.

View the full page

This course unit is based on the same educational project as the “Ecology Fair-1” course unit: the organization of and participation in the two events “Festi’Versité” and “National Ecology Fair ” (see the “Ecology Fair-1” course description).

What sets the “Salon de l’écologie-2” course apart is the roles and responsibilities students assume as they assist the project owners and project managers of the two events. In this course unit, they hold leadership positions as officers of one of the partner student associations: president, treasurer, communications manager, logistics manager, sustainability manager, festival manager, conference manager, and forum manager. They will coordinate the highlights of the events, the activities of the various teams, and the work of the students and volunteers involved in the implementation through the course unit “Ecology Fair 1.”

View the full page

View the full page

This module covers topics related to identifying, quantifying, and modeling the interactions between climate, marine species, and their exploitation.

View the full page

View the full page

The objectives of this learning unit are to explore key concepts related to climate change, to illustrate important concepts in ecology and evolution in the context of climate change across a wide range of ecosystems, and to synthesize the various scientific and societal issues and challenges posed by climate change.

View the full page

View the full page

View the full page

View the full page

Climate Change, Global Changes, Future Projections, Adaptation, Resilience, Hydrological Modeling, Future Climate Simulation, Water Availability, Extreme Events, Impacts on Ecosystems, Ecological Issues

This course introduces students to the climate, environmental, and anthropogenic changes that are affecting—and will continue to affect—our hydro-eco-socio-systems today and in the future.

The activities focus on certain—though not exhaustive—aspects of this vast field, in which knowledge is constantly evolving.

Beyond simply presenting the issues, figures, and concepts, students learn to use hydrological modeling tools to develop future scenarios for resource trends. They analyze a specific topic by integrating various disciplines and approaches. They discuss possible adaptations to address the impacts of change.

The activities consist of three parts: coursework, modeling, and bibliography.

- The course covers the principles of climate modeling, the development of climate change scenarios, and their limitations. The orders of magnitude of the major changes are outlined, along with the key challenges of sustainable development, climate change, and global changes. Special attention is given to France’s Mediterranean watersheds (a climate change hotspot, declining water availability, agricultural practices and adaptations, irrigation, tourism, etc.).

- The course covers the concepts of hydrological modeling and calibration in non-stationary or sparsely gauged contexts and provides an introduction to hydrological modeling through a practical application. Students work with general hydrological models (such as GR, HEC-HMS, or WEAP) to estimate flows and water balances, input data from climate models, generate future flow and water balance scenarios, and critically evaluate the resulting scenarios. The modeling work, conducted in small groups, is presented orally.

- Finally, the bibliography compiled in class and supplemented independently should enable students to specialize in a specific case study of a change occurring in a compartment of a natural or urbanized hydro-ecosystem (of the students’ choosing). They conduct a literature review to identify the societal or environmental issues arising from these changes, as well as the scientific questions inherent in implementing measures to reduce their impacts or to adapt to them. They must identify how their case study is similar to other cases, but also how it differs from them. Finally, they extend their analysis to a more general methodology that can be applied to other case studies characterizing these changes, their impacts, and adaptation measures. The students write

a concise, practical summary (bibliography, similar case studies, controversies, practical tools, protocols, orders of magnitude). They then present their findings to the class.

View the full page

The objective of this course is to introduce students to:
1. how communications departments operate within various types of organizations involved in research, scientific culture, or its applications (research institutes, local governments, associations, NGOs, companies, etc.)
2. the methodology for developing a communications strategy and plan, as well as a press kit.
The course will be based on presentations by heads of communications departments from various organizations and on tutorials that will guide students in analyzing and designing communication strategies and plans, as well as drafting press kits based on real-world projects submitted by the communications department representatives.

View the full page

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This learning unit is conducted entirely in English. It has two objectives: 

1. To help students improve their speaking and listening skills in English 

2. To enable students to expand their vocabulary in the field of ecology that interests them most (e.g., marine ecology, terrestrial ecology).  

Practical sessions: oral presentations by students, watching videos in English with English subtitles, quizzes, and games.   

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The Cogithon is a seminar-style course that brings together students with diverse skill sets for six consecutive days at a single location. They work in competing teams on a local environmental issue, as part of a call for projects developed in collaboration with real-world stakeholders in the region. The program alternates between lectures, meetings, site visits, and workshops, enabling students to present a report and a slideshow at the end of the week.

The best projects are presented orally at the end of the week to a panel of professionals.

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