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| BIOL0809-1 | Ecophysiology, ethology
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| Duration : | 40h Th, 30h Pr |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Mathieu Denoël, Claire Périlleux, Jean-Christophe Plumier |
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| Coordinator : | Mathieu Denoël |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, review in January |
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Course contents :
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| The course is declined in three theoretical parts:
1. Ecophysiology
The first part of the course is devoted to plant and animal ecophysiology. The plant side is made of two chapters : 1) adaptation and physiological tolerance of abiotic stress; 2) relationships between organisms, including beneficial associations, biotic stress and allelopathy. The animal side will mainly focus on physological responses to chemical modifications of the environment. Among other things, the effect of salinity, chemical signaling, and polutant-induced modifications (on behavior and neurobiological processes) will be examined.
2. Behavioural ecology
The second part of the course is devoted to behavioural ecology. It gives functional explanations to the complexity of behavioural patterns exhibited in varied environmental situations. The course explains how behaviours contribute to the survival and reproductive success of individuals and how the observed tactics and strategies have been selected. Optimality and maximalisation are of primary importance in this perspective. After a general introduction (main concepts and methods in behavioural ecology), the course is divided in three main chapters: resource exploitation (optimal foraging, selection of reproductive habitat, and dispersion), reproductive systems (sexual dimorphism, mate choice, intra-sexual selection, sex roles, public information, mating systems, alternative mating tactics, and sperm competition), and interactions (parental care, life in groups, and cooperation). |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| The aim of the Ecophysiology part of the course is to illustrate how physiology of the organisms governs their relationships with their environment and between each other.
The aim of the course of ethology is to explain relations among behaviour, ecology and evolution in a perspective of optimality and selection. It consists in explaining theories in behavioural ecology on diversity of behavioural patterns and in illustrating them with empirical data from varied zoological groups. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| It is useful to have bases in physiology, ecology, ethology and evolution. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| Practicals in the laboratory or bibliographic report in connection with the lectures |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| The lectures are given during the first quadrimester. The presence during practicals is mandatory. |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| The Power-Point slides will be available in a .pdf format.
The Power-point slides and the table of contents of the lectures in behavioural ecology are available on the web site of the Behavioural Biology Unit http://www.etho.ulg.ac.be/denoel/cours.html |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| The evaluation is based on oral exams, and also on the practical. For the Plant Ecophysiology part, the evaluation includes presentation of an experimental paper where GMOs are created for a higher resistance to environmental stresses. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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Contacts :
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| Dr Mathieu Denoël, Unité de Biologie du Comportement, Institut de Zoologie (Bât. I1), Quai van Beneden 22, 4020 Liège
E-mail: Mathieu.Denoel@ulg.ac.be
Prof. Jean-Christophe Plumier, Ecophysiologie et physiologie animale, Bât B36, avenue de l'hopital 1, 4000 Liège
E-mail: JC.Plumier@ulg.ac.be
Prof. Claire Périlleux, Laboratoire de Physiologie végétale, Bât. B22 Sart Tilman, Boulevard du Rectorat 27, 4000 Liège
E-mail: cperilleux@ulg.ac.be |
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| Items online : |
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| ecophysiology, ethology |
This link gives access to the web page of the ethological part of the course of ecophysiology, ethology.The lecture notes in pdf format can be downloaded individually.
A detailed table of contents, a bibliographic list and resources for the practicals are also provided. |
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