Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - Courses 2011 - 2012

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>> The Finnish School in Wildlife Biology, Conservation and Management

>> Boreal Biota and Ecology (BBE)

Lectures and seminars 2011 - 2012:

523074 Seminar in Ecological genetics (4 ECTS)
Boreal Biota and Ecology (BBE), BBE orientation
59907 Introduction to Boreal Ecology and Biogeography in Fennoscandia (2 cr), BBE
59950 Environmental changes in the Baltic Sea ecosystem (5 cr), BBE
523052 Conservation Biology in Fragmented Landscapes (7 cr plus 2 cr optional), BBE
523021 Workshops in Conservation Biology (6 cr), BBE
523088 Laboratory Methods in Molecular Ecology (4 ECTS)
523067 An Introduction to Parasitology (2 cr) updated 15.9.
Biochemical Adaptations in Natural Populations (2 ects) updated 30.8.
English language support – reading, writing, presenting scientific material, BBE
58549 Introduction to ecological modelling (6 cr), BBE
523127 Molecular evolution (5 cr)
523138 Concepts and principles of spatial conservation planning, 3 ECTS credits
58551 Spring symposium (2 credits)
523018 Cooperation and conflicts in evolution ( 4 ects) updated 19.12.

Laboratory courses and field courses 2011 - 2012:

58570 Field Excursion in the Taiga (2 cr), BBE
523143 Methods and software of spatial conservation planning (3 ects) updated 8.2.2012
523129 Reserve Planning in the Tropics (9 cr)
58524 International Field Course “Experimental Ecology” (7cr) updated 19.12.

523074 Seminar in Ecological genetics (4 ECTS)
Time: First meeting September 5th
Place: To be announced later
Teacher: Dr. Perttu Seppä
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge in population genetics required, e.g. 59931 (Evoluutiobiologian perusteet) or equivalent
Contents and goals: We read current literature together supported by textbooks (e.g. Lowe et al. Ecological Genetics, Design, Analysis, and Application, Blackwell, 2004). Each participant presents one topic. Course language is English.
Form of examination: Seminar and an exam on the text book
Grading: Pass/fail
Enrolment: pre-registering in WebOodi. Max 6 students; if the course becomes overbooked, students majoring in EEB are prioritized

523088 Laboratory Methods in Molecular Ecology (4 ECTS)
Time: 15.–26.9. (Thursday to Monday) 9–16 (lectures and practicals)
Place: Lectures in Biocenter 3, seminar rooms; practicals Biocenter 1 teaching lab 1026.
Teacher: Dr. Perttu Seppä/EEB, Dr. Kalle Trontti/MES lab, Dr. Jaanika Blomster/Dept. Environmental Sciences
Contents and goals: Theory and practise of basic laboratory methodology in a DNA lab. Following topics will be covered: Lab safety, Sterile work, DNA extraction, Electrophoresis, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, DNA microsatellites, SNP-RFLP, writing a lab journal. Course language is English. This course is strongly recommended for all students aiming to work in the MES lab!!
Literature: MES-lab manual
Form of examination: Lab journal + an exam
Grading: 0-1
Quota of students: Min 6 / Max 16 students. The course is primarily aimed for MSc students who either plan to start or have recently started their projects in the MES lab. The course is also suitable for more advanced students less familiar with molecular methods. No formal requirements. If the course becomes overbooked, students working/planning to work in the MES lab are prioritised
Enrolment and information: pre-registering in WebOodi

Biochemical Adaptations in Natural Populations (2 ects) updated 30.8.
Thursdays 29 September - 8 December 2011 at 13-15, Biocenter 3, Viikki campus
>> More information

523067 An Introduction to Parasitology (2 cr) >> more information, pdf
Course specification: Lectures, group discussions, mini-presentations
Level: Basic
Time: 10.10.-14.10. daily 13-16 and final seminar Thursday 20.10. 13-16
Teacher: Sarah Zohdy
Place: Biocenter 2 and 3, exact room will be announced later
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of biology
Quota of students: 16 (minimum 8)
Credits: 2 ECTS
Enrolment: email sarah.zohdy@helsinki.fi by 3.10.

523127 Molecular evolution (5 cr) (lectures and project)
Time: January 10th to February 24th, Tue, Wed and Fri 9–11
Place: Biocentre 3,  room 6406 and the computer lab
Teacher: Prof. Pekka Pamilo
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of genetics and evolution
Aims: To learn the basics of genome evolution and DNA sequence analysis.
Contents: The course covers the evolution of genomes. Topics include the changes of the genome size and genome organisation, the origin of new genes, the death of genes, and the changes of DNA sequences. The students make a project analysing sequences obtained from Genbank.
Material: Moodle
Grading: pass/fail
Form of examination: assays and a project report

523138 Concepts and principles of spatial conservation planning, 3 ECTS credits
Time: Lectures: 16.1.-13.2. Mon 14-16, Tue 14-16 and Wed 10-12. Final exam: 29.2. 10-12
Place: Biocenter 3, Viikinkaari 1. Seminar room 6406.
Teachers: Prof Atte Moilanen and other researchers in Biodiversity Conservation
Informatics Group
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of ecology
Primary audience: Advanced undergraduate or postgraduate students in ecology or
environmental sciences.
Format: 13 x 2h lectures in English, including Q&A discussed during lectures. Evaluation based on final exam and participation in the discussion.
Aim: To familiarize the student with the main concepts, principles and methods of
(spatial) conservation prioritization and planning. The emphasis is on explaining
(verbally) all important concepts in an accessible manner. Material covers a broad range of topics at a relatively general level. This course also introduces terminology needed when reading literature from this field of science.
Material: Written (traditional) lecture material (~70 pp) will be distributed to students (.pdf). Lectures will concentrate on discussing the most important points.
Enrolment: pre-registering in WebOodi

58551 Spring symposium (2 credits)
Time: March 5th to 7th from Monday to Wednesday 9–17
Place: Infocenter lecture room 2
>> Website
Responsible teacher: Prof. Otso Ovaskainen

523018 Cooperation and conflicts in evolution ( 4 ects) updated 19.12.
Why would an individual kill his/her mother and siblings, why do we have sex, what battles are fought within our cells, how does selection work at different levels and what kind of disagreements are there on this? On the other hand – why is there cooperation in an otherwise selfish world? We are looking for answers to these questions on this course
as well as delving into the research in this field through lectures and paper seminars.
Time table: Lectures 12.3, 14.3, 16.3, 19.3, 21.3 ja 23.3 klo 10-12
Seminars: Schedule decided later
Target group: Students with basic knowledge in ecology and evolution – a good grasp of basic
evolutionary theory is essential
Requirements for passing: Attendance at lectures, a ca 30 min long presentation jointly prepared with another student, based on 1-3 papers (depending on the length of the paper), and active participation in discussion during the seminars. Compulsory presence at the lectures and the seminars.
You can sign up for the course in WebOodi or to either of the teachers by 5.3. We can accommodate 20 students; those who are more advanced in their studies will be prioritized if it comes to selection.

523143 Methods and software of spatial conservation planning (3 ects) updated 8.2.
The course is available only every second year.
Time: 12.3.-4.4.2012; exam 17.4. 10-12
Mon 12.3. 13-15, Tue 13.3. 10-12, Wed 14.3. 13-15, Thu 15.3. 13-15,
Mon 26.3. 13-15, Tue 27.3. 10-12, Wed 28.3. 13-15,  Thu 29.3. 13-16*,
Tue 3.4. 10-12, Wed 4.4. 13-16*
* = computer demonstration
Teachers: Prof. Atte Moilanen, Dr. Jussi Laitila and Dr. Federico Montesino Pouzols
Place: Biocenter 1. Seminar room 3108. Computer demonstrations: Biocenter 3, computer lab 4403.
Course schedule: Lectures (8) and computer demonstrations (2) 12.3.-4.4. Attendance in both lectures and computer demonstrations is compulsory. The lectures include practice work on numerical examples.
Requirements: Course “Concepts and principles of spatial conservation planning”, other experience or studies covering similar material, or studies in methodological sciences.  
Goals and contents: At the end of the course, students will better understand the basic rationale and methodology behind spatial conservation planning methods. Having worked on numerical examples, students have an insight into how these methods really operate on data. Hands-on topics include scoring, minimum set and maximum utility planning, irreplaceability, threats and dynamic landscapes, optimization, multi-action planning, etc. Students will also be able to set up and run basic analyses with the Zonation spatial prioritization software.  The latter half of the course will be about the Zonation framework and software.
Lecture material includes how decision rules and conservation value are defined in the spatial conservation planning context. Basics of actually solving reserve selection problems. Getting acquainted with Zonation software for spatial conservation prioritization as well as setting up and running basic analyses with it.
Teaching form: Lectures 8 *(2 x 45 min), and computer demonstrations (2 *100 min).
Form of examination: Evaluation based on written exam, which may also include simple mathematical problems (67%) and a report from computer practicals (33%). The exam will be based on lecture content and supporting literature.
Target group: Advanced undergraduate students or PhD students interested in theoretical ecology or conservation biology.
Literature: To be distributed during first lecture
Quota of students: minimum 6 maximum 15
Enrolment by 1.3.2012 via e-mail to atte.moilanen(at)helsinki.fi. Please indicate whether you have attended the course “Concepts and principles of spatial conservation planning” and, if not, where you have gained the required basic prior knowledge around this topic.

523129 Reserve Planning in the Tropics (9 cr) (field course)
Course description: The aim of this intensive exchange course is training students in conservation science. The course is of field-work focus but it also includes lectures, computer exercises, article discussions, data-analysis and student seminars. The lectures will deal with patterns and causes of biodiversity loss, with emphasis on habitat loss and metapopulation theory. Following these background lectures we will concentrate on conservation planning approaches. Computer exercises and field work are planned so that they relate results to the theory learned. Field projects will assess patterns and impacts of habitat loss. Conservation is always operating in a unique social context which has to be taken into account together with ecological criteria. Several activities during the course are directed to understanding the social drivers of forest loss, local use of resources and the interaction that local villages have
with the National Parks. We will visit local conservation management offices, local schools and various development projects which aim to combine conservation and livelihood needs.
Time and Place:
Introductory lectures: October-November (dates to be agreed with students) in Helsinki.
Field course: 22 November 2011 to 22 December 2011 in Madagascar.
Responsible person: Mar Cabeza
Level: intermediate-advanced
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of ecology. Field courses in Ecology (e.g. 59928, 59905) recommended. Good physical condition is essential. Extensive outdoor experience preferred.
Teachers: The course is coordinated by Prof. Mar Cabeza, and lectured by numerous teachers both from Finland and Madagascar
Teaching language: English
Quota of students: 14 (8 students from the Department of Biosciences, Univ. of Helsinki and 6 students from the Malagasy universities of Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa).
Credits: 9 cr.
Enrolment: by e-mail to cabeza(at)cc.helsinki.fi by 25 May 2011. Send your cv and a short (about 1 page) motivation letter in English, explaining why should we choose you for the course.  We are looking for highly motivated students, eager to work in hard field conditions, able to work in teams and adapt to different cultures. The motivation letter should include also the following information: student number, major and minor subjects, total number of study credits and language skills. A decision about the selection of students will be sent by the end of May.
Costs: the course covers accommodation and meals in the field station and other camp sites, plus local transportation for course purposes. But the students should pay for their flight tickets Helsinki-Antananarivo (1100-1500e) plus some other expenses (personal equipment, and other extras).
For more information, please contact Mar Cabeza (cabeza(at)cc.helsinki.fi)

58524 International Field Course “Experimental Ecology” (7cr) updated 19.12.
Time: 16.-27.7.2012 (including weekend)
Place: Tvärminne Zoological Station
Teachers: Doc. Katja Heubel and Doc. Phillip Gienapp
Contents and goals: Design and conduct a field experiment in behavioural or evolutionary ecology. The emphasis of the course is on how to experimentally test theoretical predictions. In the course you will learn how to formulate hypotheses, how to design the appropriate experiments, how to analyze and present your collected data and how to interpret and relate your findings to theory. During the course will touch upon a variety of concepts in ecology, recap and apply a selection of statistical tests, and introduce you to the ecosystem of the Archipelago Sea in the Baltic.

The participants will be divided into teams of two to three students. The teams are free to find their own research questions from the fields of sexual selection, predation, competition, and community ecology (list of topics not yet finalized). For the choice of study systems, we will take full advantage of ongoing research at Tvärminne Zoological Station and variety of organisms and habitats in the Archipelago at the South-Western Tip of Finland.

Course structure: Together with students from the University of Tübingen, Germany, you will work in small teams on your own project. You will find your research question, formulate hypotheses, plan an experiment, collect data, analyse your results, prepare a presentation to be held during the last days of the course and write a report formatted like a scientific paper. The project work will be complemented be a few interactive lectures, a seminar, excursions, and discussions.
Total workload: 7 ECTS. The course comprises of 10 intensive course days plus 2 days for preparatory reading and additional time for report writing afterwards. The course language is English. We expect active regular participation and contribution to discussions in class and in groups orally and in writing.
Assessment: formative feedback during the course. Evaluation and grading: active participation, group and individual performance (research plan, presentation and report). The course performance will be graded 1-5 (5).
Prerequisites and target group: advanced undergraduate students, masters students. Prior knowledge in ecology is essential (e.g. basic courses in Ecology and Evolution completed). Prior training in biostatistics is beneficial and encouraged.
Literature (compulsory and optional): will be announced later.
Enrolment: send an email to katja.heubel(at)helsinki.fi by March 1 2012 (max. 20 students in total, 10 from University of Helsinki, 10 from University of Tübingen).
Costs: you will have to pay for your own travel to the station and for food and accommodation (approximately 140 EUR in total). For more information look here: http://luoto.tvarminne.helsinki.fi/ohjeitakurssilaisille.html
If you have further questions on the course: send an email to katja.heubel(at)helsinki.fi