Course content and design
All taught day courses have specific learning outcomes which relate directly to syllabuses. Detailed course content and programme is decided in conjunction with visiting staff to ensure that all requirements are met.
Course costs

        Habitats available:

Rocky shore - range of wave exposures from extremely sheltered to extremely exposed
Salt marsh-grazed and ungrazed
Sand dunes- succession and management
Freshwater- upland streams, lowland streams, ponds
Woodland-deciduous, coniferous
 

Sampling techniques used ( as appropriate)
- selection of quadrat size, random and systematic   
     sampling
- quantitative and qualitative recording methods -
      %cover, %  frequency, density, abundance scales,
       point quadrats

- mobile populations – mark, release, recapture
- aquatic populations – effort and area based sampling

Ecological concepts / ecosystem function
-Influence and interaction of abiotic and biotic factors on species  distribution and abundance
-Species adaptations to the environment
-Zonation
-Succession
-Conservation and management
-Diversity / stability relationships
-Energy flow
-Freshwater pollution / indicator species / biotic indices
-Human influences on the environment

 

Student investigations
Hypothesis testing, data collection, statistical analysis (computer based where appropriate), data interpretation