Ecology and Management of Invasive Species

Curso de Formação

Ano Letivo 2023/2024

This an e-learning course aimed at graduates who wish to learn about the subject of invasive alien species. The contents are freely available (like a MOOC - Massive Open Online Course) but subject to registration for access. To obtain a certificate from the University of Évora, prior enrollment in the academic services is mandatory. The course takes place with the support of the teacher during periods of 4 weeks for each edition. However, it will be possible to carry out the course almost autonomously. The course works using dozens of small videos that must be watched, with an average of 10 to 15 minutes, available online, after which it is also mandatory to answer questionnaires. Information is presented sequentially without skipping topics.
The course topics are: Introduction to invasive species. Basic concepts about invasive species. Impacts of invasions. Invasion pathways, vectors and entry routes. Invasive species present in our territory. Species with high risk of invasion. Prevention, control and mitigation of invasive species. Prediction and risk assessment. Prediction and risk assessment. Causes of invasions. Scientific hypotheses about invasions. Dynamics of invasions: the expansion of invaders. Global change and invasions. National, Iberian and European legislation.
Continuous assessment based on the response to online questionnaires after each video (50%). Final knowledge assessment test (50%). Quantitative evaluation using a 0 to 20 grading scale.