Duration
10d FW
Number of credits
Lecturer
Flavien Collart, Bruno Frederich, Véronique Goosse, Loïc Michel, Stéphane Roberty, Laurane Winandy
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
All year long
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The aim of this field course is to illustrate concepts covered in several courses on taxonomy, biodiversity, phylogeny, morphology, ethology, and ecology. It is therefore not linked to a specific course, but constitutes a teaching unit in its own right.
Students will choose between two internships taking place in two different locations: either in a coastal marine area or in terrestrial and freshwater environments. As the number of places is limited at the various host stations, access to either internship may be determined in consultation with all the teachers. A letter of motivation in which the student explains their choice may be requested.
The internship dedicated to the coastal marine zone takes place at the Marine Biology Station (SBM) in Roscoff (Finistère, Brittany). This station is affiliated with the University of Paris VI (like those in Banyuls and Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean) and has more than 200 researchers attached to various French and European academic institutions. The research topics covered range from genomics to the ecology of marine organisms. The activities organized during the internship will provide opportunities for contact with these researchers.
The internship dedicated to terrestrial and freshwater environments takes place at the Hautes Fagnes Scientific Station on Mont Rigi, in the heart of the Hautes Fagnes-Eifel Nature Park. This century-old Scientific Station of the University of Liège is dedicated to research and teaching. The research topics focus on the exceptional characteristics of the Hautes Fagnes from a biological, biogeographical, climatic, geological, hydrological, and geomorphological perspective, as well as from a historical and archaeological perspective. This internship will also be an opportunity to meet researchers and various field workers involved in biodiversity management.
During the internship, students have the opportunity to observe in situ and collect organisms from different environments, which they can then study in the laboratory. In addition to morphological and systematic aspects, various facets of ecology are addressed, both in the field and experimentally. Different techniques and methodologies will be presented and applied in the field, enabling students to characterize the environment, quantify biodiversity, and measure various population and community characteristics. A few lessons are also planned to contextualize taxonomic groups or topics that are not covered in other theoretical courses in the Master in Organismal Biology and Ecology curriculum.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The goal of this field trip is to integrate different notions covered in multiple theoretical courses and apply them to a specific biotope: either the intertidal zone of the Brittany coast or terrestrial and aquatic environments of the High Fens.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
In order for this course to be beneficial to students, it is essential that they have a good grasp of the basic concepts of taxonomy, morphology, biodiversity, and ecology. To ensure that this is the case, students are required to meet one of the following conditions in order to add the course to their PAE:
Having obtained a Bachelor degree in Biological Sciences (180 credits) from a university in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
or
Having successfully completed all the additional credits required by the Master in Organismal Biology and Ecology jury as part of a "Bloc 0".
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Field trip
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Active participation in the chosen field trip is mandatory. Students must be physically present. No excuse, however valid, will be accepted as grounds for the student to complete substitute work. Failure to participate in the field trip will automatically result in an absence rating for both sessions.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Presentations and theoretical course materials will be sent to students via the eCampus platform. This platform will also be used to provide various digital resources that will be used during the internships. Finally, a series of reference books necessary for the internship activities will be provided on site.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Further information:
The assessment takes the form of a test on the last day of the internship and covers the main topics. It consists of three parts:
- An individual test on taxon recognition.
- A multiple-choice questionnaire with 20 theoretical questions related to all activities organised during the field trip.
- A group project, carried out during the field trip and presented at the end of it. The composition of the groups and the topics of the projects will be determined during the field trip. The specific terms and conditions and assessment criteria will also be communicated at this time.
Work placement(s)
This teaching unit IS a field trip.
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The Mont Rigi field trip will take place from 13 to 19 October 2025.
The Roscoff field trip will take place from 14 to 24 April 2026 (9 days on site and 2 days for travel).
Students will be lodged in the stations, close to the laboratories, in single or shared rooms. Meals will be taken either at the stations or as picnics if field activities require it. Transportation of equipment is organised by the supervisors. Transportation on site is also provided by the supervisors. Unfortunately, as the actual cost of these expenses is very high, students will be asked to contribute a provisional amount. If the cost of the internship turns out to be lower than this contribution, the student will be reimbursed accordingly.
This contribution does NOT cover students' travel to the internship location. It is their responsibility to organise their own travel to the Hautes-Fagnes Scientific Station or the Roscoff Biological Station, and to be there on time for the start of the internship activities.
Further information will be provided at the welcome session for the Master in Organismal Biology and Ecology, and then via the eCampus platform in due course.
Contacts
Mont-Rigi Field Course
Prof Bruno FREDERICH (Coordinator)
Evolutionary Ecology
Sart-Tilman, Institute of Chemistry, B6c
04/366.50.40 - bruno.frederich@uliege.be
Prof Flavien COLLART
Ecology of Plant Communities and Populations
Sart-Tilman, Institute of Botany, B22
fcollart@uliege.be
Dr Laurane WINANDY
Hautes-Fagnes Scientific Station, Mont-Rigi
04/274.87.90 - Laurane.Winandy@uliege.be
Roscoff Field Course
Prof Loïc MICHEL (Coordinator)
Animal Systematics and Diversity
Sart-Tilman, Institute of Chemistry, B6c
04/366.33.22 - Loic.Michel@uliege.be
Dr Véronique GOOSSE
Biology Teaching Collective
Institute of Zoology, I1
04/366.50.14 - v.goosse@uliege.be
Dr Stéphane ROBERTY
Ecophysiology and Animal Physiology
Sart-Tilman, Institute of Botany, B22
04/366.22.15 - sroberty@uliege.be
Secretariat
Ms Mariella LUNETTA
Ecotoxicology and Animal Ecology
Sart-Tilman, Institute of Chemistry, B6c
04/366.50.62 - m.lunetta@uliege.be