UGA Bulletin

Course Description

Course provides training in field-based animal ecology, introducing students to field techniques, and generating meaning from field collected data to address scientific questions. Course emphasizes the scientific process: making observations, asking questions, proposing hypotheses, designing fieldwork, data collection and analysis, and oral and written communication.

Athena Title

Field Ecology

Non-Traditional Format

A field-focused course with on-campus lectures on Mondays (1 hour) followed by a mixture of trips to nearby field sites to facilitate hands-on learning, or analysis and interpretation focused class time on Wednesdays.

Prerequisite

(BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or permission of department

Pre or Corequisite

ECOL 2550

Semester Course Offered

Offered fall

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of a range of concepts in ecology.
Students will be able to design field studies to address scientific questions and hypotheses.
Students will be able to effectively collect, record, analyze, and interpret scientific evidence and experimental data.
Students will be able to solve practical problems in field settings.
Students will be able to communicate effectively using a range of formats relevant to professional scientists.

Topical Outline

Week 1: An introduction to field ecology and the scientific method
Week 2: Field survey and sampling strategies; data collection and record keeping
Week 3: Use of R for analysis of field collected data
Week 4: Resource availability: size frequency analysis
Week 5: Minimal disturbance wildlife surveying 1; camera trapping
Week 6: Minimal disturbance wildlife surveying 2; correlation and regression-based models
Week 7: Community ecology 1; pitfall trapping
Week 8: Community ecology 2; diversity indices and ordination
Week 9: Size and recruitment; distribution analysis; information theory
Week 10: Wildlife trapping and handling 1; capture-mark-recapture
Week 11: Wildlife trapping and handling 2; capture-mark-recapture
Week 12: Wildlife trapping and handling 3; population estimation
Week 13: Population estimation and projections
Week 14: Experimental field ecology: giving up density
Week 15: Ecological applications

Institutional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.

Critical Thinking

The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.

Syllabus

publish

Field Methods in Animal Ecology