Population monitoring and analysis

• Data collection capacity for monitoring natural populations
• Knowledge for the estimation of vital statistics of natural populations
• Ability to model natural populations

Theories:
1. Life History and life cycles
2. Individuals, populations and metapopulations
3. Demographic analysis methods: matrix models
Other activities (practices, seminars, tutorials)
1. Population size estimates and analysis of population trends
2. Matrix analysis and decomposition
3. Capture-recapture methods
4. Methods for the estimation of demographic parameters in plants

Caswell, H. 2001. Matrix Population Models. Sinauer Associates.
Neal D. 2003. Introduction to Population Biology. Cambridge University Press.
Stearns, SC. 1992. The Evolution of Life Histories. Oxford University Press

BASIC AND GENERAL SKILLS
CG01 - Acquisition of analysis capacity on current and future situation of biodiversity.
CG02 - Use of adequate terminology.
CB6 – Acquire and understand ideas that provide a basis or opportunity to be novel in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.
CB7 - That students know how to apply the knowledge acquired to solve new tasks within multidisciplinary contexts related to their area of study.

CROSS-SECTIONAL SKILLS
CT2 – Ability for reasoning, argumentation and decision making.
CT4 - Ability to obtain adequate, diverse and updated information in different languages.
CT5- Commitment to provide accurate information to others.
SPECIFIC SKILLS
CE3 - Ability to properly design and conduct sampling and experiments, and correctly interpret the results.
CE5 – Knowledge on how to apply the methodology for monitoring natural populations and recognize, if necessary, the degree of threat of a species, or its invasive potential.

Lecture-explanation: teaching procedure by which the lecturer will present the concepts and/or procedures, providing basic information necessary for understanding the theoretical perspectives or practical procedures, to promote student participation.
Practical class: developed in the classroom. Its objectives are to solve empirical exercises and to learn and apply computer software, with the support and supervision of the lecturer.

The achievement of these competencies will be continuously assessed, the final mark will be taken into account the continuous evaluation of 4 exercises based on practical cases (Exercises on Plant Populations, Exercises on census techniques and trends, Exercise on matrix analysis and Exercise capture-recapture), that will suppose a 25 % each of the note in the final mark.

Hours Presence (%)
Lectures 7 100
Interactive classes 14 100
Tutorials 1 100
Exam 2 100
Personal studies 51 0
Total hours of work 75
In the scenario 2 attendance will be not required for theoretical lessons, and in the scenario 3 there will be no attendance at any activity