Ecological Modelling - Advanced

Code: PAO10212M

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Environment and Ecology Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

The course covers the fundamental and advanced topics in Ecological modeling, allowing the student to build and interpret ecological models.

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Água potável e saneamento - Garantir disponibilidade e manejo sustentável da água e saneamento para todos.

Proteger a vida marinha - Conservação e uso sustentável dos oceanos, dos mares, e dos recursos marinhos para o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Proteger a vida terrestre - Proteger, recuperar e promover o uso sustentável dos ecossistemas terrestres, gerir de forma sustentável as florestas, combater a desertificação, deter e reverter a degradação da Terra e deter a perda da biodiversidade.

Learning Goals

Objectives:
To increase the comprehension of how ecosystems function. To introduce students to the theoretical representation of ecological processes. To provide the tools for the simulation of ecosystem behavior.

Competences:
Capacity to represent a complex ecological system on a conceptual diagram.
To be able simulate the behavior of an ecological system, using adequate software.
To be able to evaluate the results of a simulation model.
Capacity to use models to analyze ecosystem behavior.

Topics:
What is ecological modeling? Mathematical tools for modeling. The components of the ecological models. Steps in ecological modeling. Conceptual models and their languages. Population dynamics models. Plant growth models. Algal growth models. Wetland models. Biogeochemistry models. Individual growth models.

Teaching Methods

Students have theoretical and practical classes with construction of models on the computer. They will also be able to access course support materials and exercises using the internal network of the university.
Evaluation:
After all the classes students will have to answer a quiz under an e-learning platform, which will automatically assess their knowledge. They will have to construct and present a medium complexity model, including all steps except validation, that will be used in the evaluation.