AEW-20706 Practical Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality

Vak

Studiepunten 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

- AEW-21306 Soil and Water II;
- SFI-10806 Soil and Water I.

Contents:

The aim of this practical is to illustrate the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, to become familiar with those research methods that are developed to analyse the most important processes. In particular the oxygen and carbon cylce will be studied, as well as the productivity of algal- and waterplant-dominated systems. A few selected processes will be studied in detail by means of field and labortory experiments (reaeration, primary production, predator-prey). Relations between dominant organisms will be studied. The results will be used in (simple) models in order to simulate the processes.

Aims:

- recognize several different types of aquatic ecosystems
- learn to apply a number of current measuring techniques in aquatic ecology and water quality management
- introduce to specific sampling tools
- independently setup and carry out laboratory and field experiments
- acquire practical skills in the investigation of processes in aquatic ecosystems
- learn working with water quality models
- learn selecting results to be used in a short presentation

Activities:

- make a workplan of an elaborate experiment
- do experiments in the laboratory as well as in the field
- extrapolate results of laboratory experiments to the field situation
- analyse results
- apply existing models
- compare own results with literature data
- give a presentation of a part of the research

Examination:

Individual performance during the course; assessment of reports; short written test.

Literature:

A manual and lecture notes will be distributed during the course.