Biology and management in cinegetic and fish farming communities

- Knowledge of the biological characteristics of the hunting and freshwater fishing species.
- Learning based on the observation, study by handling and evaluation of populations of birds, hunting mammals and freshwater fishes.
- Knowledge of the limiting factors for the species considered and improvement of the habitat for the enhancement of the populations.
- Knowledge of the basis of the structure and dynamics of freshwater ecosystems.
- Knowledge of the characteristics of the water and methodology used in the fish farms usually implemented in Spain.
- To provide students with the knowledge required to formulate and carry out regulation plans and work plans related to the management of freshwater fish stocks and hunting resources.

The memory of the degree includes for this subject the following contents:

Biological peculiarities and problems of the Iberian populations of hunting and fishing fauna. Characterization, evaluation and monitoring of game and fish populations. Plans of hunting and fishing uses. Enhancements of hunting habitat and fishing habitat. Intensive rearing of game species. Repopulation. Inland aquaculture.

These contents will be developed in accordance with the following program:

PART I: BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF WILD GAME POPULATIONS
Topic 1. Hunting as human activity. General introduction to the course. (Classroom Hours: 1 h + Individual Work Hours: 3 h)
Topic 2. Iberian hunting birds: identification, biology and hunting. (CH: 3 h + IWH: 4 h)
Topic 3. Identification, biology and hunting of lagomorphs, carnivores and swines. (CH: 2 h + IWH: 4 h)
Topic 4. Identification, biology and hunting of the existing ungulates in the Iberian Peninsula (cervids and bovine game). (CH: 2 h + IWH: 4 h)
Topic 5. The hunting regulation plan and the hunting exercise. (CH: 0´5 h + IWH: 2 h)
Topic 6. Improvements of the habitat for Big game and for Small game. (CH: 0´5 h + IWH: 2 h)
Topic 7. Types of hunting: hunting with arms, falconry, hunting with traps and race hunting. HP: 0´5 h + HTP: 1 h)
Topic 8. Hunting censuses. Census methods, planning and implementation. (CP: 1´5 h + IWH: 3 h)
Topic 9. Population dynamics of big game. Estimation of the kill ratio (trophy shooting, selective hunting and female-selective hunting). (CH: 2´5 h + IWH: 5 h)
Topic 10. Population dynamics of small game. Estimation of bag limit. Bag limit deal. (HP: 2´5 h + HTP: 5 h)
Topic 11. Recruitments. Release and artificial stocking with small game. (HP: 2h + HTP: 3h)

PART II: BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF FISH POPULATIONS AND AQUACULTURE
Topic 12. The fishing and the freshwater habitat. General introduction to the fishing activity and the aquaculture. (CH: 2h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 13. The fishes: reproduction, feeding, natural migrations and population evaluation. (CH: 2h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 14. Recognition and distribution of the Iberian freshwater fishes. (CH: 2h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 15. Biology and population dynamics of the autochthonous Iberian salmonids. (CH: 1h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 16. Introduction to the aquaculture. Modalities, procedures and phases in the freshwater farming. (CH: 1h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 17. The breeding of salmonids and other interesting freshwater species. (CH: 1h + IWH: 3h)
Topic 18. The fishing management plan and the work plans: justification and contents. (CH: 3 h + IWH: 6´5 h)
Topic 19. Morphology and fluvial dynamics. (CH: 2h + IWH: 4´5 h)
Topic 20. Inventory of populations of fishes. Planning of the inventory. Methods of qualitative inventory. (HP: 1h + HTP: 2 h)
Topic 21. Inventory data process and modelling. (HP: 2h + HTP: 4´5 h)
Topic 22. The migratory fishes and the free circulation. (HP: 1h + HTP: 2 h)

PRACTICES
Practice 1.- Recognition and identification of sex and age in Iberian game birds.
Practice 2.- Recognition and identification of sex and age in Iberian game mammals and valuation of trophies.
Practice 3.- Identification of invertebrates and elaboration of environmental quality indices in rivers.
Practice 4. - Recognition of Iberian freshwater fish species.

SEMINARS
Seminar 1. - Discussion and resolution of numerical problems and case studies related to management of wild game.
Seminar 2.- Discussion and resolution of numerical problems and case studies related to management of fish populations.

Basic bibliography
BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF WILD GAME POPULATIONS
BALLESTEROS, F. (1998).- Las especies de caza en España. Biología, Ecología, Conservación, Estudio y Gestión del Medio, Oviedo, 313 pp.
DE LA CALLE SANTILLANA, R., MADRIGAL LADRÓN DE GUEVARA, C., GÓMEZ VEIGA, C. (2006).- Manual de ordenación y gestión de recursos cinegéticos: caza menor. Asociación de Ingenieros Técnicos Forestales, Madrid, 220 pp.
PEDROSA ROLDÁN, I. (2005).- Ordenación y Gestión de Recursos Piscícolas y Cinegéticos. 50 problemas resueltos relacionados con la materia. Unicopia, Lugo, 62 pp.
SÁENZ DE BURUAGA, M., LUCIO, A. J., PURROY, F. J. (2001).- Reconocimiento de sexo y edad en especies cinegéticas. Edilesa, D.L, 127 pp.

BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF FISH POPULATIONNS AND AQUACULTURE
COBO, F., VIEIRA-LANERO, R. (coords.) (2010).- Bases teóricas para un curso de vixilancia ambiental en materia de pesca fluvial, Agaia, Vilagarcía de Arousa, 213 pp.
DOADRIO, I., PEREA, S., GARZÓN-HEYDT, P., GONZÁLEZ, J. L. (2011).- Ictiofauna continental española. Bases para su seguimiento. Dirección General de Medio Natural y Política Forestal, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino, Madrid, 616 pp.

Complementary bibliography
BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF WILD GAME POPULATIONS
FULLER, R. J., GILL, R. M. A. (2001).- Ecological impacts of increasing numbers of deer in British woodland. Forestry, 74 (3): 193-199.
LUCIO, A., SÁENZ DE BURUAGA, M. (1989).- Los Planes de caza. Guía básica para la elaboración de planes de ordenación cinegética. Federación Española de Caza, Colección Divulgación, 1, 32 pp.
PRIOR, R. (2009).- The roe deer. Conservation of a native species. Swan Hill Press. Wykey, U K, 230 pp.
RIESCO MUÑOZ, G. (2013).- Especies cinegéticas. Instalaciones para la cría y repoblación. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, 178 pp.
TELLERÍA, J. L. (1986).- Manual para el censo de los vertebrados terrestres. Raíces, Madrid, 278 pp.

BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF FISH POPULATIONNS AND AQUACULTURE
BARNABÉ, G. (1996).- Bases biológicas y ecológicas de la acuicultura. Acribia, Zaragoza, 519 pp.
FAO (2012). Recreational fisheries. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. 176 pp.
GONZÁLEZ DEL TÁNAGO, M., GARCÍA DE JALÓN, D. (1995).- Restauración de ríos y riberas. Fundación Conde del Valle de Salazar, Madrid, 319 pp.

In this subject the student will acquire or perform a series of general and transversal skills, desirable in any university degree, and also specific ones characteristics for general engineering as well as forestry and environment engineering. Within the framework of skills that are designed for the degree, the following will be worked up:

General skills:
CG8 - Ability to manage and protect populations of forest fauna, with special emphasis on the character of hunting and fisheries.

Transversal skills:
CT1 - Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
CT2 - Capacity for reasoning and argumentation.
CT3 - Ability to work individually with self-critical attitude.
CT5 - Ability to obtain adequate, diverse and updated information.
CT6 - Ability to develop and present an organized and understandable text.
CT8 - Commitment accuracy of the information provided to others.
CT11 – Use of information in foreign language.

Specific skills:
CETEEF7 - Management of Fish and Game. Aquaculture systems.

Oral presentations:
- 18 expositive sessions of 1 hour in which the explanation of the theoretical concepts are presented with the use of Blackboard, Power Point presentations and eventual support of other audiovisual media for the presentation of diagrams and for identification of species, age, sex, etc.
Worked skills: CG8, CETEEF7.

- 18 interactive one-hour sessions (9 laboratory + 9 seminar) in which the explanation of theoretical concepts will be completed with a more active participation of the students and in which problems and practical cases will be raised and solved at the same time as direct contact is made with species, learning to locate and measure the identification characters of sex and age on individuals and their skeletal remains. If deemed appropriate, these sessions will occasionally allow the participation of invited professionals, the exhibition of course works and the realization of field practices or visits to hunting and fish facilities.
Worked skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CETEEF7.

- 2 interactive hours of tutorials in reduced groups in the classroom, in order to resolve and to clarify doubts about the concepts, problems and practical cases proposed in the oral presentations.
Worked skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CETEEF7.


Private sessions:
There are useful office hours in which the lecturer meets an individual student in order to discuss with him/her specific topics of the subject.
Worked skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CETEEF7.

Virtual USC:
The resources provided by the virtual USC will be used so that the student can have the necessary documentation for the monitoring and preparation of the subject, the practice of problems or for the communication of news by teachers and students.

The work of the students will be evaluated continuously and periodically through various mechanisms that are explained and that complement a final knowledge test, in which it will be necessary to achieve a minimum score to pass the subject.
Final knowledge test (60% of the final grade):
- A written examination at the end of the semester will include four sections, two of them focused on the biology (game and fish) and the other ones on the respective management parts. It will be necessary to pass each and every one of them to pass the subject. The mark obtained in the examination will be 60 % of the final qualification.
Assessed skills: CG8, CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CETEEF7.
Continuous assessment (40% of the final grade):
- Two questionnaires of test type questions referring, respectively, to the biology of the hunting species and the biology of the fish species, will be available in the virtual classroom for a period of two weeks at the end of their corresponding teaching periods, so that the students fill them out and self-evaluate. It is intended that they are useful to improve the learning process of the students and may contribute to the grade up to 10% (5 + 5) of the final grade.
Assessed skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CETEEF7.

- A course work on aspects of the biology of hunting and fish populations, to be established by the teacher and which may be presented orally and discussed in the classroom. The work will be carried out from documentation in French or English provided, in principle, by the teacher and it will be mandatory to present a summary in English of at least 300 words. The obtained grade will suppose 10% of the final grade.
Assessed skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CT11, CETEEF7

- Several simple practical cases will be offered during the course to the students as homework, involving the current contents of management of wild game and fish populations. The outcomes written presentation of some of these cases will be done in English or French, according to the instructions of the teacher. The results obtained in those tests will suppose 20 % of the final qualification.
Assessed skills: CG8, CT1, CT2, CT3, CT5, CT6, CT8, CT11, CETEEF7.

- The unexcused absence of more than 20 % of the interactive lab sessions will involve the negative assessment of the subject.

- All enrolled students, regardless of whether they are first chance, second chance or repeaters, will be evaluated with the same criteria, with the only exception of students who have been granted a waiver of attendance. In these cases, the dispensation may reach 100% of the expository teaching and 50% of the interactive teaching.

"In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of student academic performance and review of grades will apply”.

- Oral presentations:
Expositive: 18
Interactive Laboratory and Seminar: 18
Hours for evaluation: 2
Total: 38

- Individual work:
Reading and preparation of topics: 30
Development of exercises: 15
Preparation of practical work and posterior work: 8,5
Elaboration of course works: 4
Preparation of examinations: 15
Total: 72'5

Total time yielded to the subject (oral presentations and individual work): 110'5 h.

- Attendance at lectures and participation in expositive and seminar sessions, remarkably in the laboratory practices.
- Practice in solving numeric problems of census and management.
- Utilization in library of material of identification.
- Query of the recommended bibliography.
- Use of the office hours with the lecturers for queries and explanations.

Some schedules can be modified, after early warning at the beginning of the semester, in order to make compatible with other unpredictable academic activities.