Syllabus 2008/2009 TEK035

Syllabus academic year 2008/2009
(Created 2008-07-17.)

LIMNOLOGY

TEK035

Higher education credits: 15. Grading scale: TH. Level: A (Second level). Language of instruction: The course will be given in English on demand. TEK035 overlap following cours/es: BIO607, BIO621, BIO607 och BIO621. Optional for: W4, W4ve. Course coordinator: Karin Rengefors, Karin.Rengefors@limnol.lu.se, Inst för biologisk grundutbildning. Prerequisites: 90 ECTS credits program studies including VVR111 and EXTA01. Assessment: Assessment takes the form of quizzes, a final written exam at the end of the course, and written and oral presentation of the project report. Students who fail the ordinary tests will have an opportunity to take another test in close proximity to the ordinary test. In order to pass the course the student is required to have passed the quizzes, the written test and have acceptable project reports and presentations, and to have actively participated in all compulsory course elements. The final grade for the course is determined by the aggregated results of the different parts of the examination, ascribing the final written exam a weight of 80% and the project report and presentation 20%. The course cannot be credited as part of a degree along with BIO621 Limnology 10 credits or BIO607 Limnology and Water Management 10 credits. Further information: Laboratory work, field exercises, seminars, group exercises, project work, and the course elements associated with these are compulsory. Home page: http://www.biol.lu.se.

Aim
Students shall acquired the knowledge and understanding of basic features of structure and function of inland waters.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

Have acquired the following knowledge and understanding:

basic features of structure and function of inland waters
identification and species knowledge of the most common limnic organisms
the predominant explanation models concerning ecosystem functioning
the most common limnological field and laboratory techniques
human influence on lakes and watercourses

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

Have acquired the following knowledge and understanding:

analysis and interpretation of limnological data, and integration to a limnological synthesis
planning, performing and compilation of a limnological investigation or research project, including formulation and testing of purpose, hypotheses and predictions
ability to communicate a limnological material orally and in written
a grounding in further studies and professional roles within the limnological area.

Contents
The course consists of two parts. During the first part current theories and models concerned with the physical and chemical characteristics of water, the species composition of limnic organism communities, cycling of nutrients and other dissolved or particulate materials, and interactions within and between organism populations are taught. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of recent discoveries about the function of limnic environments. Effects of human activities around and within the aquatic ecosystems, e.g. eutrophication, acidification, and climate change, are discussed, and examples are given on possibilities to restore affected ecosystems.

During the second part of the course excursions are made to different types of lakes and streams in the South of Sweden. Relationships between factors like climate and catchment area composition and land use on the one hand, and the lake type (eutrophic, oligotrophic, humic) including physical and chemical parameters as well as organism communities on the other hand are highlighted. Samples for analysis of macrophytes, bacterio-, phyto- and zooplankton, benthic fauna, fish, and water for chemistry are collected. Work is carried out within a number of student projects. By rotation between work groups, students gather experience of the most important field and laboratory methods.

Literature
According to a list determined by the department, available at least five weeks before the start of the course, see the web-page for Undergraduate Studies in Biology