Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2007-2008 (archived)

Module BIOL3381: PALAEOECOLOGY (P)

Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences

BIOL3381: PALAEOECOLOGY (P)

Type Open Level 3 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2007/08 Module Cap None. Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • Plant Biology BIOL2271.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To promote an appreciation of how the environment has changed in the recent geological past and of the impacts of these changes on organisms and ecosystems.

Content

  • Palaeoenvironmental, palaecoecological and chronometric methods.
  • Global environmental history of the last 5 million years.
  • Orbital forcing of global and regional climate.
  • Late-Quaternary interglacials.
  • Interglacials vs interstadials.
  • Rapid global environmental fluctuations during the last glacial cycle.
  • The Holocene: The role of humans in Holocene vegetation change.
  • Millennial environmental variability during the Holocene.
  • Linking palaeoecology to ecology and conservation.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • By the end of this module each student should be able to: illustration how Quaternary environmental changes have impacted upon organisms and ecosystems.
  • appreciate the nature of the interactions between environmental change and ecosystem components, and the relevance of different processes at different scales both in time and space.
  • understand the prevailing hypotheses as to the mechanisms and ultimate causes of environmental change and the extent to which differed processes operate at different temporary and spatial scales.
  • understand the principal techniques used to study Quaternary environments.
  • have a practical knowledge of sediment sampling and palynology.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • To establish Quaternary chronologies and to investigate Quaternary palaeocology.
Key Skills:
  • extract, compile and review relevant scientific information from various sources and evaluate them critically.
  • acquire, interpret and critically analyse experimental, clinical and field data and present the results effectively.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Taught Component: Teaching and learning in this component is primarily through the means of lectures and seminars, supplemented by practical classes and field excursion(s).
  • During the practical classes students will gain skills that will enable them collectively to collect and analyse a set of palynological data and to critically assess these data in relation to published data.
  • Additional skills will be acquired through the searching, retrieval and presentation of data.
  • Knowledge, understanding and ability to retrieve and synthesise information will be assessed formatively through an oral presentation.
  • Knowledge, understanding, ability to synthesise information and ability to critically assess and analyse information will be assessed summatively by means of a written examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 18 1 or 2 per week 1 hour 18
Tutorials 1 1 hour 1
Seminars 1 3 hours 3
Practicals 3 3 hours 9
Fieldwork 1 6 hours 6
Other (Poster) 6 6 hours 36
Preparation and Reading 127
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Examination 2 hours 100%
Component: Data Handling Exercise Component Weighting: 10%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Data Handling Exercise 100%
Component: Poster Component Weighting: 40%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Poster 100%

Formative Assessment:

Oral presentation to assess ability to retrieve, organise and synthesise and present information.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University