Basics of Ecology and Hydrology (3 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

Content

Basics of Ecology:
Abiotic and biotic environmental variables
Adaptation
Population ecology
Ecosystem ecology
Biogeochemical cycles
Biodiversity and biodiversity loss

Basics of hydrology:
Water and water cycle
Lake hydrology
Open-channel flow
Applications and methods

The course begins in week 36 and spans 11 weeks.
There are two hours of on-campus lectures each week. In addition, it includes a field day, and weekly independent or group assignments.

Objective

Ecology:
- The student understands the central concepts and fundamental questions in ecology.
- The student understands abiotic and biotic environmental factors, interactions between organisms and environment and organism adaptations to the environment.
- The student understands population dynamics and interactions between populations.
- The student understands interactions between communities.
- The student understands nutrient cycles.
- The student understands energy flows in ecosystems.
- The student knows the basics in aquatic ecology.
Hydrology
- The student understands central concepts in hydrology.
- The student understands physical and chemical properties of water.
- The student knows water cycle and different processes within the cycle.
- The student knows basic characteristics of different water bodies and central physical and chemical processes in different water bodies.
- The student knows the principals of water flow and quality field measurements.

Materials

All teaching materials are available on the itslearning-platform organized into weekly topics. Name of the course -> Suunnitelmat.

Teaching methods

The course consists of on-campus lectures, independent studies, team work, and a field day for field measurements.

Exam schedules

The course does not include exams.

Pedagogic approaches and sustainable development

The teaching methods are based on the principles of innovation pedagogy. These methods emphasize the active participation of students in their own learning process. The key components include interactivity, application of information, and experience-based learning.
The course integrates the theme of sustainable development throughout its content.

Completion alternatives

Students’ performance is evaluated throughout the course based on their weekly assignments. There won’t be any actual retakes organized for assessments. If students need to complete complementary or retaken assignments, they should contact the lecturer for guidance.

Student workload

One credit corresponds to 27 h of work, which means that the entire course requires approximately 81 hours of work for the students.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Competence is assessed throughout the course based on the weekly assignments. Additionally, students participate in self-evaluation at both the beginning and the end of the course. The self-evaluation component may impact the overall score by +0.25 a grade.

Failed (0)

Failed (0): <50 % of the maximum points

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Satisfactory (1): 50–59 % or (2): 60–69 % of the maximum points

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Good (3): 70–79 % or (4): 80–89 % of the maximum points

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent (5): 90–100 % of the maximum points

Further information

Email (anu.vehmaa@turkuamk.fi), and itslearning.