F1 Internship

Course name: Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology F1
Course ID: 0610011
ECTS: 10
Language: German/English
Exam type: Protocol

Lecturers: Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Jochen Krauß, Andrea Holzschuh, Marcell Peters, Thomas Hovestadt, Thomas Schmitt, Jörg Müller, Alice Claßen

Aim: The students will expand their knowledge on ecological theories and current research issues in Animal Ecology. They will be qualified to design, perform, statistically analyze, and interpret scientific research. They will be familiar with animal ecological methods and possible sources of error in data interpretation. They will deepen their knowledge of Biology and Ecology of important functional taxa of arthropods. The acquired knowledge qualifies the students to perform scientific activities in the content of F2 internship or a master thesis.

Content

“Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology F1” consists of various courses each summer semester and winter semester. Three of them have to be chosen to complete the entire F1-module (5 week of courses). All courses are listed below.

An accompanying seminar “Experimental Animal Ecology” will be each Wednesday, 8.00-9.00 a.m. In the seminar, recent scientific publications on the topics of the exercised modules will be presented and discussed. For further information please contact Jochen Krauß.

Wild- and Honeybee Ecology

[Translate to Englisch:] Pic:HoneybeeEcology

(throughout the semester, count as 2 weeks)
Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Andrea Holzschuh

fundamentals and techniques of beekeeping, resource utilization, behavior experiments, pollinator diversity, and plant-pollinator-interactions.

Ecology and Taxonomy of Insects

(block, 2 weeks)
Jochen Krauß, Marcell Peters, Alice Claßen, Jörg Müller

observation and recording in the habitat, identification and characteristics of different arthropod groups, field experiments.

Agroecology

(block, 1 week)
Andrea Holzschuh, Jochen Krauß

insect communities in agroecosystems, organic VS conventional farming, visiting an organic farmer and cow house, biological pest control in landscape content, evaluation of agri-environment schemes.

Ecological Modelling

[Translate to Englisch:] Pic:EcologicalModeling

(block, 2 weeks)
Thomas Hovestadt

current methods of ecological processes modelling, simulation models, individual modelling project on current issue of Ecology.

Forest Ecology

(block, 1 week in WS)
Jörg Müller

Methods of vertebrate sampling, main determinants of vertebrate communities in forests, impacts of vertebrates on forests, impact of forest management on vertebrates, and conservation strategies. The course will be hold at the Field Station Fabrikschleichach, and/or in the Bavarian Forest National Park. We will combine lectures, field work in the forests nearby, analyses of data and seminar papers.