Characterisation of the physical environment for biology

Students must know how to describe, analyze and interpret variables in the physical environment that condition adaptations, distribution and abundance of living beings, as well as their changes over time.

The specific objectives, cognitive, procedural and attitudinal are:

- Acquire knowledge of measurement methods and data processing of the main variables of the physical environment that determine the presence, abundance and distribution of populations. Likewise, they should acquire the understanding of certain processes and their recognition in the field.
- Acquire the skills and abilities necessary for the processing of data on the main environmental variables, as well as their representation. This involves familiarizing students with the technologies necessary to achieve this objective, such as spreadsheets and geographic information systems.
- Acquire the skills and abilities necessary for the acquisition in the field and laboratory of data on the main environmental variables used in biology, as well as the rudiments of field work such as staking out and characterization, in relation to physicochemical variables, of sampling stations.

Overall Contents:
Contents: Maps and cartographic representations. Geographic information systems. Atmospheric and aquatic system: measurement methods, data sources, units, calculations, indexes, representation and interpretation of different variables. Hydrology: surface and ground waters, basins and hydrographic networks. Terrestrial system: characterization of forms and types of relief. Soil.

Specific program of the expository part (27 hours).
- Topic 1.- Introduction to the study of the physical environment for biologists. Representation of variables related to the physical environment. Scale and resolution. Introduction to geographic information systems (3 hours).
- Topic 2.- Atmospheric system. Measurement methods, data sources, units, calculations, indices, representation and interpretation of the variables: radiation, light, temperature, humidity, precipitation and wind. Climograms and indices and climatic classifications (7 hours).
- Topic 3.- Aquatic system. Measurement methods, data sources, units, calculations, indices, representation and interpretation of variables: salinity, light, temperature, oxygen, current speed. Flow calculation (3 hours).
- Topic 4.- Characterization of landforms. Introduction to landforms and geomorphic systems. Measurement and interpretation of parameters that characterize the physical environment (altitude, aspect, slope). (4 hours)
- Topic 5.- Geomorphic environments and associated landforms: weathering, slopes, karst, fluvial, glacial and periglacial, aeolian, coastal (5 hours).
- Topic 6.- Soils and pedogenetic processes. Concepts of soil formation and relationship to landforms. Soil components and porperties: measurement and interpretation. Climate of the soil: temperature and humidity regimes. Soil distribution. (5 hours)

Field and laboratory work (10 h).
1. Computer: introduction of geographic information systems through free software (2 h).
2. Laboratory: characterization of basic physico-chemical properties of soils and sediments (color, pH, particle size, etc.) (2 h).
3. Field practice: measurement of water velocity, estimation of flow rate, pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, etc.) and a terrestrial environment (use of GPS to determine coordinates, selection and delimitation of a study plot, analysis of slope and orientation, analysis of cover, etc.) (6 h).

Seminars (20 h)

1. Processing and representation of temperature data (2 h).
2. Wind data. Wind rose (2 h).
3. Representation of temperature and precipitation data: Climograms. Irradiance calculation (2 h).
4. Net radiation and evapotranspiration. Applications to a canopy water balance (2 h).
5. Stratiphication of water masses: characterization of a meromitic lake (2 h).
6. Perceptions on environment and basic concepts of the physical environment (2 h).
7. Concepts of cartography and use of maps I (2 h).
8. Concepts of cartography and use of maps II (2 h).
9. Concepts of cartography and use of maps III (2 h).
10. Long term landscape change: palaeoecology (2 h).

Tutoring (1 h)
In which the professor will briefly present an environmental problem (on which previous information will have been provided) and will formulate a series of questions. This will be followed by a debate in which two groups of students will defend their opposing positions.

Course work
Throughout the course the students will produce a report in which some of the concepts and techniques introduced in the exhibition and in the seminars will be reflected. A small area will be chosen and in it a cartographic study will be carried out to characterize the physical environment. This work will be presented as a poster.

Basic
Aramburu Maqua, M.P., Escribano Bombín, R. (dir-coord). 2014. Guía para la elaboración de estudios del medio físico. Fundación Conde del Valle de Salazar, ESTSI Montes UPM, Ministero de Agricultura Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Madrid. http://oa.upm.es/55224/1/Guia_para_la_elaboracion_de_estudios_del_medio…
Craig, J.R., Vaughan, D.J., Skinner, B.J. 2102. Recursos de la Tierra y el medio ambiente. Pearson, 4 edición.
Ernst, W.G. (ed) 2000. Earth systems, processes and issues. Cambridge University Press
MacKenzie, W.S., Adams, A.E. 1994. A color atlas of rocks and minerals in thin section. Wiley & Halsted Press.
Musk, L.F. 1991. Weather systems. Cambridge University Press. Third Edition
Pérez Navarro, A., Botella Plana, A., Muñoz Bollas, A., Olivella González, R., Olmedillas Hernández, J.C:, Rodríguez Lloret, J. 2011. Introducción a los sistemas de información geográfica. Editorial UOC.
Schaetzel, R., Anderson, S. 2005. Soils, genesis and geomorphology. Cambridge University Press.
Strahler A., Strahler A.H. 1997. Geografía Física. Omega.

Additional
Comins, N.F. What if the Earth had two moons? Macmillan.
Lavigne, D.M. 2006. Gaining Ground: in pursuit of ecological sustainability. IFAW.
Porta, J., López-Acevedo, M., Roquero, C. 1994. Edafología para la agricultura y el medio ambiente. Ediciones Mundi-Prensa.
Cartografía y SIG, Ministerio para la transición ecológica: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cartografia-y-sig/
QGis: https://www.qgis.org/es/site/

Relationship of learning outcomes:
Knowledge/content: Con02, Con08, Con09
Skills: H/D01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D06, H/D07, H/D08, H/D10
Competences: Comp01, Comp03, Comp06

EXHIBITORY CLASSES: Master Class. Tutorial work. Not compulsory.
SEMINARS. Seminars. Computer Classroom Practices. Supervised Work. Compulsory (90%).
COMPUTER PRACTICES. Computer Classroom Practices. Supervised Work. Compulsory (100%).
LABORATORY PRACTICES: Laboratory practices. Compulsory (100%).
FIELD PRACTICES. Field practicals. Compulsory (100%).
TUTORIALS. Tutorials. Compulsory (100%).

These criteria will be used in both opportunities. Repeating students will be evaluated with the same system.

The final grade will be a combination of continuous evaluation (50%) assessing the attendance, participation and performance of students in the different activities through deliveries (practices 10%, seminars 10%, course work 30%) and complementary evaluation of theoretical knowledge (50%) through an examination of theoretical content (type test and / or problem solving). All the compulsory activities are evaluable. The final grade will be the sum of those obtained in the continuous evaluation and in the final exam. To pass the subject it is necessary to achieve a minimum grade of 40% of the maximum score (2 out of 5) both in the continuous evaluation as a whole and in the exam.

For repeating students, if they have attended the compulsory activities, completed the course work and passed the continuous evaluation, the grade of this evaluation can be kept until the following academic year.

The same instruments will be used to evaluate the competences second outline:

- The theoretical exam evaluates: Con02, Con08, Con09, H/D01, H/D03, H/D06, H/D07, H/D08, Comp01, Comp03.
- The completion of course work: Con02, H/D01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D06, H/D07, H/D08, H/D10, Comp01, Comp03, Comp06.
- Interactive classes evaluate: Con02, Con09, H/D01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D06, H/D07, H/D08, Comp01, Comp03.

It is estimated that students will need between 1.5 and 2 hours of study and personal work for each hour of class. Therefore, the dedication time will be:

Student face-to-face work:
27 hours of theoretical lessons
20 interactive hours in seminaries
2 interactive hours in lab
6 interactive hours in the field
2 interactive hours in the informatics room
1 hour of tutoring
2 hours of examination

Independent work:
90 hours of personal work

- Participate in theory and practical classes.
- To carry out and hand in the assignments belonging to the continuous assessment on time.
- Analyse the bibliography provided

Previous knowledge of subjects such as Geology and Biophysics (heat and temperature, conduction, convection, radiation, sensible heat and latent heat. Planck-Einstein Law and Stefan-Boltzmann Law).
There will be a virtual classroom. Communication with the faculty will be through the virtual classroom, MSTeams or e-mails.