2024
Biogeography
Name: Biogeography
Code: PAO13359L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
Geography
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
Students must:
• Understand the biogeography as a multidisciplinary science that links information from several other sciences such as geography, biology, climatology, geology, ecology and evolution.
• Discuss the fundamental concepts related to the processes and the patterns of geographic distribution of flora and fauna and understand how this knowledge can help obtain relevant information for biodiversity conservation.
and being able to:
• Evaluate, interpret, modelling and predict critically the geographical distribution of living things, regarding to the vascular plants and macroscopic animals in different biogeographical settings.
• Understand the biogeography as a multidisciplinary science that links information from several other sciences such as geography, biology, climatology, geology, ecology and evolution.
• Discuss the fundamental concepts related to the processes and the patterns of geographic distribution of flora and fauna and understand how this knowledge can help obtain relevant information for biodiversity conservation.
and being able to:
• Evaluate, interpret, modelling and predict critically the geographical distribution of living things, regarding to the vascular plants and macroscopic animals in different biogeographical settings.
Contents
I. Foundations of Biogeography.
• Scales of space, time, and change
• Abiotic and biotic factors
• Evolutionary processes
• Distribution patterns of species and communities
II. Applications and Case Studies
• Indices of gradients and diversity
• Cluster analysis of chorotypes
• Peculiarities of the Iberian flora and fauna
III. Conservation Biogeography
• Principles, values, priorities and the role of science in the decision process in conservation
• Models for selection of protected areas in theory and practice
• Decision support systems in conservation biogeography
• Conservation biogeography under global environmental change
IV. Predictive Biogeography
• Description vs. prediction concepts, challenges and opportunities
• Theory of ecological niche and species geographical distributions
• Correlative models of species distributions
• Species distribution models based on processes
• Scales of space, time, and change
• Abiotic and biotic factors
• Evolutionary processes
• Distribution patterns of species and communities
II. Applications and Case Studies
• Indices of gradients and diversity
• Cluster analysis of chorotypes
• Peculiarities of the Iberian flora and fauna
III. Conservation Biogeography
• Principles, values, priorities and the role of science in the decision process in conservation
• Models for selection of protected areas in theory and practice
• Decision support systems in conservation biogeography
• Conservation biogeography under global environmental change
IV. Predictive Biogeography
• Description vs. prediction concepts, challenges and opportunities
• Theory of ecological niche and species geographical distributions
• Correlative models of species distributions
• Species distribution models based on processes
Teaching Methods
Theoretical lectures complemented by individual student work (literature review and written or oral reports of synthesis) and open discussions in the classroom. Exercises on theoretical and practical aspects of the topics addressed and preparation of one project integrating different topics of the course. Continuous evaluation including writing of a report about an integrative project and writing of one final exam.
Certificações
