ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 1 Expository Class: 3 Interactive Classroom: 17 Total: 21
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Functional Biology, Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
Areas: Ecology, Zoology
Center Higher Technical Engineering School
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
Students should acquire the systemic vision that aquatic ecosystems have, as well as the main existing tools to know the biological quality in aquatic ecosystems.
Specific cognitive and procedural objectives:
- To acquire basic knowledge on the use of organisms as biomonitors, which allow us to determine the quality of the environment; as well as some rudiments on their use.
- To acquire knowledge on toxicological evaluation and toxicity measurement. To acquire the skills and abilities necessary for the understanding of the results from bioassays.
- To acquire basic knowledge on the concept of biological quality of the DIRECTIVE 2000/60/CE. To acquire the necessary skills and abilities to understand the results of the composition and structure data of some communities of this directive.
- To acquire basic knowledge on biological diversity and its quantification, which will allow the development of tools for the diagnosis of impacts on biological communities.
Expository class agenda
THEME 1 – Context and fundamentals of WFD (3 hours).
1.The Water Framework Directive: principles, objectives and implications for integrated resource management.
2. Typology of water bodies and ecological status: definitions and criteria of the WFD.
3. Physical, chemical, hydromorphoxic and biological indicators: overview.
4. Philosophy of ecological evaluation: references, pressures and decision making.
THEME 2 – Biological diversity and ecological function (4 hours).
1. Biological diversity.
2. Biological diversity measures.
3. Establishment of references and comparison of biological communities.
4. Statistical analysis in the field of biological diversity.
THEME 3 – Biological indicators in WFD (3 hours).
1. Organizations as bioindicators: selection criteria, advantages and limitations.
2. Types of indicators used in the WFD: phytoplankton, macrophytes, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish.
3. Introduction to biological indices used in Spain (IBMWP, IHF, CBR): calculation and meaning.
THEME 4 – Application and integration of results (3 hours).
1. Design of biological follow-ups and sampling: operational principles and challenges.
2. Interpretation of the results and their use in hydrological planning.
3. Case studies: real examples of application of the WFD and improvement of the ecological state.
Computer practicals (1 hour sessions)
1. Calculation and interpretation of ecological quality indices with simplified data.
2. Ecological status estimation using macroinvertebrate data.
3. Graphical visualization of diversity by water mass, section or year.
4. Analysis of relationships between environmental pressures and observed diversity.
5. Quantification of biological diversity.
6. Characterization of spatio-temporal patterns of biological diversity.
7. Communities' response to environmental gradients (species richness).
8. Communities' response to environmental gradients (community composition).
Seminars (1 hour sessions)
1. Why is biological diversity a good indicator? Discussion and examples.
2. Case study: monitoring of diversity in a river affected by urban spills.
3. Preparation of a sampling plan aimed at evaluating ecological quality.
4. Interactions between diversity, habitat and pressures: learning for restoration.
Tutoring (1 hour) How to deal with the study of matter will be addressed. Online questionnaires will be used on the subject taught. Doubts arising in them will be resolved, as well as on other aspects of the matter.
Basic
• Newman M.C. 2014. Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology: The Science of Pollution, 4ªed. Ed. CRC Press. ISBN: 978-1466582293
• Magurran, A. E., & McGill, B. 2011. Biological diversity. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-958067-5
Complementary
• Clements, W. y Newman M.C. 2002. Community Ecotoxicology. Ed. J.Wiley & Sons Ltd. UK. ISBN: 0-471-49519-0 (Acceso libre en: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/0470855150)
• Walker, C.H., Sibly, R.M., Hopkin, S.P. y Peakall, D.B. 2012. Principles of Ecotoxicology. 4ªEd CRC Press. ISBN: 9781439862667
• Connell, D., Lam, P., Richardson, B.Y. y Wu, R. 1999. Introduction to Ecotoxicology. Ed. Balckwell Sc. Londres. ISBN 0-632-03852-7.
• Newman, M.C. 2001. Population Ecotoxicology. Colección: Hierarchical Ecotoxicology. Ed. Wiley & Sons. UK. ISBN-10: 0471988189
• Tannenbaum, L.V. 2017. Ecological Risk Assessment: Innovative Field and Laboratory Studies. CRC Press 1ªed. ISBN: 1498786170
• Borcard, D., Gillet, F., & Legendre, P. 2011. Numerical Ecology with R. Springer New York, NY. ISBN: 978-3-319-71403-5
CON5 Describe the fundamentals of water resources assessment and the main tools for hydrological planning, based on the Water Framework Directive, legislation and global frameworks on water resource allocation, including the environmental component. Demonstrate that ecosystem services linked to water have a high added value and that nature-based solutions allow a sustainable approach to water management.
HAB4 Analyze the EU Water Framework Directive and Flood Directive, their technical implications and implementation, through hydrological planning. Use computer tools for solving problems related to water management, within the framework of both directives. To develop measurements and analysis of data of hydrological interest and linked to the status of water bodies. To evaluate the effect of urban use on its hydrographic basin and to analyze the consequences of water discharge (treated or not) into the receiving water bodies, as well as to develop strategies for the protection of surface and groundwater generation areas in the basins, under the principle of recognition and enhancement of ecosystem services.
COM4 Integrate the different sources that generate water supply and the uses that generate demand, in systems or balances that allow for adequate management. Plan water resources at the macro and micro scales, allocating water to different uses, integrating environmental and social demands.
The Virtual Classroom will be used as a communication tool with the students, offering them information about the teaching program throughout the course in the classroom and complementary materials for the study of the subject (teacher's notes, as well as scientific-technical articles), encouraging the student's autonomous study and the use of bibliographic sources. At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with the following material in the virtual campus of the subject:
1. Teaching guide: the approved guide for the subject 2.
2. Daily planning: a guide where the detailed planning of activities will be indicated.
3. Presentations: the presentations-guide used by the teacher in the expository classes.
4. Complementary material: relevant legislation, scientific articles, links to web pages, etc.
- EXPOSITIVE CLASSES: master classes (exposition and discussion of topics) will be used throughout the course to illustrate the theoretical contents and practical applications and where the professor will try to emphasize the most outstanding aspects of the state of the art, and where the assimilation of contents by the students will be verified. It is therefore very important that students work on the material available to them to promote teacher-student interaction. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked on.
- SEMINARS. Their main objective is to acquire practical skills, to know how to make calculations, to learn to describe, interpret and represent results of the subject. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked on.
- COMPUTER PRACTICES. They have as essential objective to acquire practical skills in relation to calculation processes, by means of the use of the software R or spreadsheets. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked.
The student's grade will be based on their performance on the final exam and the continuous assessment (CA).
• In-person final exam
This exam will consist of short theoretical questions and simple case studies. 50% of the final score.
Continuous assessment (50% of the final score)
• Follow-up questionnaires: to be completed individually online after each thematic block. Weighting: 60% of the CA.; Approximate completion date: at the end of each thematic block (weeks 4, 9, 13, and 17).
• Individual or team work: presentation (written or as a short presentation) of bibliographical work or simple prospective work. Weighting: 30% of the CA.; Approximate due date: week 16.
• Proactive behavior in the classroom: The aim is to assess each student's daily attitude, especially: a) evidence of following the material and classroom discussions; b) relevant comments on what was covered; c) motivation and a positive attitude in class, among others. Weighting: 10% of the E.C.
Grading system
Activity % Minimum score (if applicable)
Final exam 50% 4.0
Follow-up questionnaires 30% -
Individual or team work 15% -
Proactive behavior 5%
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Regarding class attendance, according to Article 1 of the CLASS ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS FOR OFFICIAL UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTER'S DEGREES OF USC (approved in November 2024), attendance will have the following impact:
a) It will be assessed as an additional factor in the continuous assessment. In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the Evaluation of Student Academic Performance and Grade Review will apply.
2nd Opportunity
For students taking the extraordinary examination (December/January), the continuous assessment grades obtained during the course will be maintained. If the continuous assessment activities were not completed, the extraordinary examination will represent 100% of the grade.
Evaluation of competencies
The evaluation of the competencies will be carried out through
- Exam and questionnaires: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.
- Work and tutorials: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.
- Proactive behavior: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.
The subject has a workload equivalent to 3.0 ECTS. Therefore, the dedication time will be:
Classroom work:
13 hours of lectures
8 hours of laboratory practice
4 hours of seminar
1 hour of tutoring
3 hours of exams
Non-contact work:
46 hours of personal work
• Participate in theoretical and practical classes.
• Complete and submit assignments for continuous assessment on time.
• Analyze the provided bibliography.
• Basic knowledge of statistics and familiarity with the R environment are recommended.
All content will be available in the Virtual Classroom. Communication with students will be through the Virtual Classroom and Teams.
The primary teaching language will be Spanish, although supplementary materials in English will be provided when necessary.
The following software programs will be used: R (with the packages vegan, dplyr, and ggplot2), Microsoft Excel, and QGIS.
Anton Manoel Leira Campos
Coordinador/a- Department
- Functional Biology
- Area
- Ecology
- Phone
- 881813235
- manel.leira [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Temporary PhD professor
Andres Baselga Fraga
- Department
- Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
- Area
- Zoology
- Phone
- 881813278
- andres.baselga [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer