The aim of this summer school is to equip participants with an understanding of the principles of modern biodiversity theory and its role in Conservation Biology. They will learn practical skills for biodiversity fieldwork including sampling design and monitoring. Students will learn how to analyze ecological data with R, using some of the main packages for biodiversity data analysis and have the opportunity to try these out on their own datasets.
The course will involve lectures, fieldwork, computer labs and an individual project in roughly equal proportions. There will also be regular evening lectures and activities of a more general interest. The main course topics are as follows:
- Field techniques in biodiversity assessment
- Biodiversity theory
- Sampling design & monitoring
- Biodiversity and ecosystem function
- Statistical analysis of biodiversity data
- Biodiversity software packages (primarily R-based packages)
- Globalizing biodiversity networks and databases
- Frameworks for biodiversity management and protection
As familiarity with R is essential, we offer a special two day refresher course prior to the start of the school for those wishing to ‘brush up’ on R.
To get more information, please visit the website of the summer school (link below). There, you can also access the programme as well as the all the information you need to send in your application.
Participants should have a degree in Biology or environmental science or equivalent and should have at least started a postgraduate degree. Applicants with good quantitative and computational skills are especially welcome. The course will be worth 6 ECTs (transferable course credits).