Biology
Environmental Monitoring
Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Biology
Prof. Dr. Petras Kurlavicius
Studentu 39, Vilnius LT-08106, room 221, tel. +370 85
32652, petras.kurlavicius@leu.lt
English
Language of Instruction
Ecology
Required Prerequisites
Suggested Academic Cycle Bachelor degree studies (from 2nd year of studies)
or Year of Studies
Autumn/Spring
Semester
3
ECTS Credits
4
Contact Hours per Week
Elective
Compulsory/ Elective
Lectures, seminars and individual consultations
Methods of Teaching
Form of Assessment
2 papers (20+30), individual essay 30, final test 20
Title of the Study Program
Title of the Module
Faculty, Department
Instructor
Address
Course Description
The main objective of the course is to provide the framework for understanding the main concepts of
environmental monitoring, while familiarizing students with the important empirical research/results in
the field. The course gives knowledge in the ecological field by teaching students to plan, carry out,
compile, and critically review and evaluate ecological inventories and mappings. It gives a thorough
orientation in common inventory and mapping methods and an overview of the statistical methods that
are used for this type of studies. The course also gives skills that are intended to be applied within
ecological environmental monitoring. The emphasis lies here on terrestrial environments and biotic
parameters, but examples from many different organism groups and habitats are included. Lectures
also include GIS as well as programs for monitoring (for example, Natura 2000) and environmental
monitoring (e.g. Lithuanian Environmental Protection Agency's environmental monitoring programs)
which are important instruments in work for sustainable development. The applied elements occur in
the form of field trips and problem-oriented group assignments, intended to give practical experience
in the methods that the course covers. The students carry out a number of inventories and mappings in
groups, e.g. vascular plants, invertebrates and birds.
On completion of the course, students should be able: to describe all commonly occurring methods
within ecological inventory and mapping activities, to describe national monitoring programs in
Lithuania, to understand and apply instructions in standardized monitoring program, to evaluate and
compare alternative methods for specific inventory and mapping purpose, and thereby to
identify/justify the more relevant methods for different aims; to independently plan and carry out good
ecological inventories and mappings of various taxa, to describe and evaluate the use of indicator
species within environmental monitoring programs, to independently evaluate, compile and evaluate
the results of ecological inventories and mappings. The student should have: practical experience in
different field methods, mainly such applied in terrestrial environments; basic understanding of the
statistical methods/models that are used for ecological observatory data and be able to apply and
critically evaluate these methods; ability to produce and discuss inventory and mapping results orally
and in writing.
Readings
1. Peter A. Henderson. 2003. Practical methods in ecology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science.