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Date:
From 13 Feb 2017 until 17 Feb 2017
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Deadline for Applications:
16 Jan 2017
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Location:
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Bloco C2, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa
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Duration:
36 hours
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Schedule:
9h-13h and 14h30-17h30 Monday to Thursday; 9h-13h and 14h30-18h30 Friday
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Department Responsible:
DCEA - University of Azores
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Nº (min - max) Students:
10 – 20
Objectives
This is a mostly practical course offering an overview on different community ecology and macroecological methods and software. These will include all steps of a research project, from the optimal sampling of communities to process inference from large-scale patterns of taxon, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Specific topics will be: (1) alpha, beta and gamma diversity; (2) estimating diversity from incomplete sampling; (3) partitioning taxonomic beta diversity; (4) community-assembly rules, (5) functional and phylogenetic diversity, (6) null models, (7) rarity and species abundance distribution. Finally, students will be asked to present own data and case studies.
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This course can have a recognition of 6 ECTs for FCUL PhD students enrolling in it as part of their first doctoral year. For students only requiring 5 ECTs recognized in their specific PhD programmes the last 6 hours of the course are not mandatory and the certificate will be on 'Topics in Applied methods in Community Ecology and Functional Ecology’.
,Minimum formation: “Licenciatura” (bachelor) in Biology, Geography or related areas; (very) basic knowledge of R is required.
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General Plan
- Partitioning diversity into independent alpha, beta and gamma components - basic concepts and software (Species Diversity, Richness IV and R).
- Partitioning beta diversity - multiplicative vs. additive measures of beta diversity and replacement vs richness differences components. Applications in PARTITION and R.
- Estimating diversity from incomplete sampling - algorithms and applications with EstimateS and R.
- Conceptual bases of community assembly theory.
- Conceptual bases of functional and phylogenetic approaches in community ecology.
- Computing functional and phylogenetic diversity (overview of the different indices and different R packages available and introduction to null models)
- Rarity and Species Abundance Distribution Models (SADs) with new applications in R.
- Student’s case studies.
Funding
Students fees.
Fee
Free for 1st year PhD students in the Doctoral program in Biology (FCUL), Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BIODIV UL; UP) and Biology and Ecology of Global Changes (BEAG UL, UA) when the course counts credits for their formation, in which case the delivery of a final report done after the course is mandatory; 25 € for PhD students from institutions of the PEERS network (cE3c, CFE); 125 € for FCUL Master students and unemployed; 180 € for BTI, BI and other PhD students; 250 € for Professional and postdocs.
When the maximum number of students is reached 10 vacancies will be available for non-paying 1st year PhD students mentioned above, being, by order of preference: 1) cE3c students; 2) BIODIV students (not from cE3c); 3) FCUL students (not from cE3c); 4) BEAG students (not from FCUL).
How to Apply
Candidates should send a short CV and motivation letter explaining why they are interested in the course, including a brief description of their research projects. Send all information and requests to Paulo A. V. Borges (paulo.av.borges@uac.pt).