Course Syllabus
Polar Biology |
 |
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2021, DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Core Course - 3 credits |
| Study Tour: |
Denmark |
| Major Disciplines: |
Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainability |
| Faculty Members: |
Katja Vinding Petersen - katja.petersen@dis.dk |
| Program Director: |
Neringa B. Vendelbo - nb@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
January and February and March: Friday 14:30-15:50 (Zoom) April and May: Tuesday and Friday 13:15-14:35 Classroom F24-403 (class will be held remotely through January and February and March) |
Description of Course
In this course we will provide you with an understanding and introduction to the biology of the Polar regions with a specific focus on the Arctic regions in northern Scandinavia and specifically northern Norway and Greenland. These Arctic regions are sensitive to climate variations and you will learn how such changes are affecting its polar ecosystem. We will focus on the adaptations organisms require to thrive in marine, terrestrial and/or freshwater ecosystems.You will learn about how plants withstand freezing temperatures, thermoregulation in mammals and birds on land and at sea, the effect of sea ice on marine species and the fluctuations in fish populations.
In particular, the course will look at the ecological processes of nutrient transfer across ecosystems, population dynamics and species richness of the Arctic regions in northern Scandinavia and Greenland through case studies.
You will get your own experience with the Arctic biology through a field study and you will obtain first-hand experience on how migrating polar species rely on ecosystems in Denmark when they embark on their long journeys.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course you will have an overview of the different habitats in the Polar regions, marine and terrestrial food webs, as well as, how species groups within fish, plants, birds and mammals have adapted to these cold areas.
Moreover, you will be able to communicate and understand theories and analyses of Arctic ecology within population dynamics, species interactions and evolutionary adaptations as well as the human impact on the Polar ecosystems
You will also learn how the different habitats are affected by climate change and human exploitation. Some focus will be on research in Denmark and Greenland as well as in parts of Norway. A number of prominent researchers will also be joining us throughout the course to provide insight into their fields of study.
The course is roughly divided into the below modules:
- Introduction to the ecology of Polar regions
- Climate and weather systems in the Polar regions
- Climate feedback loops in the Arctic
- Periglacial and terrestrial habitats in Arctic regions
- Freshwater ecosystems
- The marine ecosystem and the Arctic species diversity
- Stress, adaptation, and survival in Arctic regions
- Food Chain Dynamics
- Conservation and natural resource management
- Community Based Monitoring of natural resources and Traditional Knowledge
Faculty
Katja Vinding Petersen: Ph.D. (Distribution, habitat use, behavior, and sound communication), Zoology Dept., Whale Unit, University of Pretoria, 2016. M.S. (Biology and Didactics), University of Copenhagen, 2007. Research associate at Statens Serum Institute, Denmark (2012-2016). TV presenter at “Physics at sea”, Galathea 3 Expedition (2008). Has worked with marine mammals in the field in, Iceland, Northern Norway, Greenland, and South Africa. Local stranding responsible In the Overstrand Region, South Africa (2010-2012). Founder of the Danish Maine Mammal Society (2003). With DIS since 2019.
Readings
Please note there is no textbook for this course.
The Ecology of Greenland.Erik W. Born and Jens Böcher. Published by Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ilinniusiorfik, Nuuk 2001.
The Biology of Polar Regions. D.N. Thomas, G.E. Fogg, P. Convey, C.H. Fritsen, J.-M. Gili, R. Gradinger, J. Laybourn-Parry, K. Reid, and D.W.H. Walton. Second Edition. Published to Oxford Scholarship 2008.
Tundra-Taiga Biology. Robert M. M. Crawford. Published by Oxford University Press. 2013
CliC/AMAP/IASC, 2016. The Arctic Freshwater System in a Changing Climate. WCRP Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Project, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).
INTERACT 2015. INTERACT Stories of Arctic Science. Eds.: Callaghan, T.V. and Savela, H. DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University, Denmark, 180 p.
Other readings will be made available online
Field Studies
The field studies provide hands-on and experiential learning components of this course. These activities should be viewed as an integrated component of the lecture course and visits will illustrate and expand directly upon the content of the lectures and readings.
Dates and locations TBA
Study Tour
The study tour is an integral part of the course as we take the classroom on the road and see how theory presented in the classroom translates to practice in the field. We will focus on ongoing research where both terrestrial and marine Arctic research is well established.
Expectations for study tours
- Participate in all activities
- Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
- Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
- Represent yourself, your home university, and DIS in a positive light
Dates and location TBA
Approach to Teaching
The classes will involve lectures, class discussion, group work, field studies and student projects. Furthermore, there will often be questions presented for you to consider, discuss, and present in small groups.
The lectures will be taught in the order written in the syllabus, unless you are told differently. The order of the lectures is to ensure that you know all of the basic concepts before we go on study tour and field trips that relate to your final projects.
Expectations of the Students
All students are expected to have completed the course readings before class, so we can discuss the material at the right level. It is important to be well prepared for class because I may randomly select students to give key points on the readings for that day.
Students are expected to participate actively in all classes and field studies and be open minded to your fellow student’s contribution to class. The aim is to establish an environment where we can learn from each other as well as from the texts and cases we engage with and you are expected to actively support this approach.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on their ability to understand, discuss and communicate scientific concepts within Polar Biology as well as interpret them meaningfully. These skills will be the primary focuses in evaluations. Group work in class and in the field as well as the student's ability to contribute to a group effort will be taken into account for the grade.
Grading
To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work. The overall grade will come from the following:
| Assignment |
Percent |
|
Participation Students are expected to participate in all classes and field studies. Furthermore, active participation in class is required in order to get a good grade for participation. Examples of active student participation: volunteer to sum up key points from last class (2-3 min), ask questions about readings, lectures etc., start and/or participate in class discussions relating to the subjects treated. |
25% |
|
Tests on general Polar Biology topics Both tests will be covering general terms and definitions of Polar Biology based on readings, lectures and field studies. |
2x 10% |
|
Virtual Study Tour Assignment A selection of questions and assignments to be carried out during the virtual study tours. The assignment is designed to contextualize knowledge obtained during the visits. |
5% |
|
Student Projects and Presentation Student research paper, poster presentation and final paper will be carried out individually and will be covering several topics of Arctic biology. The final product will consist of three elements: An individually produced final paper (20%), a research paper (15%) and a poster (15%) presentation to be orally presented. Required elements of each project is that students familiarize themselves with the research topic they have worked on and give a thorough analysis and discussion of it. Topics of the papers and the poster is up to the students. |
20%+15%+15% |
COVID-19
We all have a collective responsibility to avoid the spread of COVID-19 at DIS. Currently, we expect to conduct all teaching remotely through the end of February, and to begin in-person teaching on Monday, March 1. Once in-person teaching begins, please monitor yourself carefully for symptoms of COVID-19 (dry cough, high temperature, breathing difficulties, sore throat, headache, muscle pain). If you experience any of these symptoms, please stay at home and inform your instructor (Katja Vinding Petersen, katja.petersen@dis.dk) that you won’t be in class or at a field study – this will count as an excused absence. Do keep up with your coursework and join activities via distance learning, if you are able to (Katja will be happy to help with this). If you are too sick to do work, please reach out to the DIS Care team at care@dis.dk for medical support and coordinate with Katja on how you can make up missed class time.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Program Orientation: January 19th (via zoom).
The program for this evening is as follows:
20-20.15: Intro for all students, with Malene & Helle (faculty andPDsare welcome to attend) (https://disabroad.zoom.us/j/99047876694
20:20 - 21.15: Core course orientation in separate zoom-rooms, preferably the ones you will use for your core-classes. Please use this link to join our metting: Click here to join Zoom Meeting:939 4442 0933 (Links to an external site.)
21.15-22: Scandinavian Film intro w. Morten from EH dept.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|