Studying at York
Current Research in Ecology - BIO00073H
Module summary
Ecology explains the dynamic world around us, from the relationships between organisms to large-scale ecosystem processes.This module will explore the processes shaping microbial, animal and plant ecology and the interactions within and between these groups, and critique current understanding of these processes.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
The module will provide an overview of current research questions, methods and analyses across the breadth of modern ecology. The first section will start with an introduction to reading papers - how to read them quickly and how to interpret figures. It will then focus on the major processes that are particular to the ecology of plants and animals. The second section will start with an introduction to molecular and analytical methods. It will then focus on interactions within and between plants, animals and microbiomes, as well as with the environment. The focus will be on cutting edge research, presenting controversial topics and uncertainty, highlighting knowledge gaps and strategies to move the field forward. Material will be taught through interactive workshops, in conjunction with related preparatory and follow-on tasks.
Module learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:
Explain and evaluate the roles and interconnections of ecological processes in shaping ecosystem function
Apply and interpret new approaches addressing ecological questions
Critically evaluate and summarise ecological research
Design appropriate research programmes to address defined knowledge gaps
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Marks for all summative assessments will be made available to you and your supervisor via e:vision. Feedback will be either individual or cohort-level, depending on the assessment format. You should take the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with your supervisor.
For exam-style summative assessment, model answers will be provided for all questions along with cohort-level feedback indicating how students answered questions in general. Marks achieved per question will be added to your script.
For coursework assessments (eg. reports or essays) you will receive individual feedback on your work. This will usually be in the form of a feedback sheet that will include suggestions for further improvement.
During the teaching of the module you will receive formative feedback that may be at a whole class or individual level. Such feedback may include: model answers and discussion of workshop questions, summaries of performance in practicals, VLE-based quizzes, individual spoken comments during workshops, individual written comments on formative work.
Indicative reading
These are available through the VLE module site.