This module aims to provide an integrated background in parasitology. The module will familiarize students with the life cycles of parasitic protozoans, helminths, and arthropods of major importance in Africa. At the end of this course, students must be able to explain the biology, and morphological adaptations of parasites, and understand the economic and medical importance of parasites.
Systematic is the branch of Biology that studies the diversity of life in an evolutionary context; encompasses taxonomy and is involved in reconstructing of phylogenetic history. (Phylon “tribe” genesis “origin”)
- The study of biological diversity
- It encompasses taxonomy (structured naming using binomial latine terminology)
- Classification of living organisms by evolutionary relationships
Interaction between organisms and their environment over geologic time has brought biological changes on at t extend of global proportions.
The modules deals with only animals and follows their evolutionary divergences to set up main taxonomic groups from very simple diploblastic to complex triploblatic coelomates in their whole diversity.
The aim of the Tropical Ecology module is to provide students with a strong foundational skills in Tropical Ecology. The tropics harbour the richest ecosystems in plants and animals diversity, but also the most diverse genomes, clades of higher taxa (e.g. Willig et al., 2003; Lomolino et al., 2010). Learnig will mainly focus on tropical ecosystems diversity, structure and functionning. Ecosystems of interest include Forests, coral reefs, mangroves and costal zones, montaine ecosystems, wetlands and peatbogs, inselbergs, savannahs and deserts. Ecological processes that explain the biodiversity distribution and adaptation as well as human factors are key to understand the current biodiversity pattern on earth. Students will particularly be able to develop an clear appreciation and understanding of the ecology and conservation of the ecosystems studied.
The module provides opportunities for students to develop the ability to weigh the claims made by scientists against the evidence. This will be a writing-intensive course. Students will have ample opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the topic, and their fluency in expressing themselves through writing, throughout the module.
The goal is to cover the fundamentals of tropical ecology, including key habitat features, biodiversity, ecological processes and biotic interactions; to provide first-hand experience of ecological research in the tropics, through group exercises and short independent projects and to evaluate the anthropogenic impacts on tropical ecosystems and consider the current conservation and forest management practices.
To be more specific the Students will:
- Understand the main patterns of tropical vegetation and how this
drives animal distribution
- Have an insight in the processes that generate and maintain
biodiversity in the tropics
- Understand the role of climate change and climate variability of vegetation and animal population dynamic and associated possible changes in relation with global warming under the tropics
- Understand the role of humans in historical and future changes in
tropical forest ecosystems
- Have an understanding of theoretical ecology in explaining community
composition in tropical forests
In this module, students will be introduced to historical background of eco-physiology and the destruction of tropical forests. This module will provide a more understanding on different types of tropical forests, their physiognomy and functional structure. Furthermore, it will provide more understanding of environment factors in tropical forests (temperature, light, water, mineral nutrients). It will mainly focus on eco-physiological responses to temperature, light and to drought.
This module is assigned to explain the basis and mechanisms of plant ecology, plant associations, phytogeographical theories and methods, and plant conservation.
Students will learn to characterise the principle plant associations of the world, past and current causes for geographic distribution of plants and vegetation groups, the main vegetation associations of Africa and specifically the Albertine Rift and Rwanda.
The module has an emphasis on the importance of the flora of the Albertine Rift, its evolutionary history and current threats.