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Collecting, analysing and communicating biological data are core skills you'll need as an ecologist or biologist. In this module, you'll explore research questions about UK ecosystems while learning the essentials of study design, field data collection, data wrangling, statistical analysis and clear communication, both through data visualisations and written reports.

You'll gain hands-on experience with ecological fieldwork during a residential field course in the UK, where you'll apply these methods directly. Throughout the module, you'll focus on best data science practices and develop open, reproducible and robust analyses.

Discover fundamental principles governing interactions between organisms and their environments across marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. You will explore key concepts, including ecological niches, trade-offs, nutrient limitation, productivity, competition, food web interactions, population dynamics, community structure and linkages between ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on variation over time and space due to both natural and human-induced processes, as well as comparing and contrasting the abiotic and biotic factors that shape the ecology of different habitats. The practical sessions provide you with hands-on experience of microscopy, organism identification, collecting field data and data analysis.

We introduce some of the key concepts in evolution, focusing on natural selection, sexual selection, coevolution, biodiversity, coevolution, adaptation and phylogenies. You will learn about natural selection as the primary mechanism of adaptation, shaping species through differential survival and reproduction and you will explore sexual selection, emphasising how mate choice and competition influence animal characteristics and behaviour. Additionally, the module introduces phylogenies, the study of evolutionary trees, which help trace the evolutionary history of species. This will develop your understanding of the diversity and interconnectedness of life on Earth, to provide a solid foundation for future zoology and other biological studies.

Explore the scientific foundations of conservation biology and ecosystem ecology by examining how species, communities and environments interact. You'll develop an understanding of the significant threats to global biodiversity, such as habitat loss, climate change, invasive species and overexploitation and learn the ecological reasons why conservation is vital.

Through a mix of theory, real-world case studies and practical work, you'll learn how to quantify biodiversity, assess population sizes and threats and apply conservation strategies at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels. Key topics include ecosystem resilience, habitat connectivity, conservation prioritisation and designing protected areas to optimise biodiversity conservation. You'll also build essential skills in ecological assessment and conservation planning, which will give you a solid foundation for a career in ecology, environmental management, or conservation science.

Throughout your degree you gain a unique skills set based on your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of sciences. In this module we develop your self-awareness of these skills and how to make the most of graduate-level employment opportunities.

We introduce you to the University’s employability resources including job search techniques and search engine use. We develop your skills in writing CVs and cover letters, and we draw on the expertise of employers and alumni. Your ability to effectively use these resources will enhance your employability skills, your communication skills and help you to develop a short-term career plan.

Scientists need to understand scientific method, design robust experiments, collect data unbiasedly, use appropriate statistical methods and present research in a clear and concise format suitable to a relevant audience. They also need to be flexible to adjust research plans as needed, a quality that will make you resilient and resourceful in the face of challenges. In this research skills module, you will work in groups to design and deliver a research project from start to end. Activities include appraising information critically and establishing a working hypothesis or prediction, developing a robust experimental design, performing experiments and collecting data, carrying out statistical analyses, interpreting findings and presenting research orally and in written form. You will train to think and act as scientists and gain the confidence and skills required to complete your final year projects and compete in the jobs market.

Graduates looking for employment as field biologists or ecologists need to have gained skills in basic field biology, including identification of different kinds or organisms and experience of commonly used field survey techniques. The module will focus on building identification skills and the use of identification keys on several groups of organisms including plants and animals. Experience of sampling methods for these taxonomic groups will also be developed, as well as familiarity with basic habitat survey techniques. During this module there will be excursions to natural habitats in local reserves.

Evolution is the fundamental concept in biology and an understanding of its processes and effects are important for biologists in all disciplines. Discover how animals and plants are shaped by the environments they live in and the species they interact with, whether predators, parasites, competitors, or their own kin. You’ll explore how natural and sexual selection influence individual traits and behaviour and how these adaptations ripple out to affect entire populations. Blending key theoretical concepts with real-world examples from cutting-edge research, this module gives you insight into the evolutionary forces that drive biodiversity and behaviour across ecosystems.

Life on earth is fuelled through plants, algae and other organisms using solar energy to fix carbon into organic compounds. The evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, which originated in cyanobacteria, marked a turning point in the path of life on Earth. Its adoption through symbiosis in algae and its impact through oxygenation of the atmosphere, enabled the emergence and evolution of multicellular life, including macroalgae and land plants. Building on core ideas from ecology and biology, you will explore the diversity of photosynthetic organisms and their interactions with the environment, with an emphasis on land plants. Topics include insights from the fossil record, functional diversity in modern ecosystems, and the role of photosynthesis in global nutrient cycles. You will also examine how these organisms respond to competition, herbivory, pathogens, environmental stress and human-driven changes such as domestication and agriculture.

Vertebrates (including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) display a staggering diversity of shapes and sizes, and are adapted to a wide array of environments, from hot deserts to freezing oceans. The aim of this module is to introduce you to the broad range of forms and functions, putting physiological and behavioural processes firmly within a whole organism and evolutionary context. You will be able to apply your general knowledge of vertebrate biology to species-specific examples: comparing and contrasting different groups and their adaptations; and critically evaluating hypotheses to explain vertebrate diversity. You will learn through critical discussion, data analysis and interpretation, science communication and a fieldtrip, providing practical skills essential for careers in biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and scientific research. Learn from research-active lecturers and discover how vertebrates are responding to environmental challenges, from habitat loss to on-going climate change.

Conduct an independent research project on a specific topic within your field of study and present your findings in an extensive report. Throughout your project, you will receive one-to-one support from a member of academic staff. This is the largest piece of work that you will complete during your degree and, depending on your subject area, it will enable you to develop skills including formulating a research question; contextualising it within research literature; identifying and using appropriate research methods and techniques with which to address your question; collecting and analysing data; and interpreting your findings. Overall, the aim is to demonstrate your ability to conduct rigorous, independent academic work and communicate its outcomes clearly and effectively.

In this module we continue to develop your employability skills. We focus on your ability to communicate your scientific learning to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of your degree and empower you when it comes to job applications and interviews. This includes practice for assessment centres and associated tasks such as psychometric testing and skills testing, and 1-1 recruitment selection or panel-based interviews.

Animal behaviour has been captivating scientists for centuries and it remains a key subject in ecology, evolution and conservation. Explore how and why animals behave in the way that they do by applying an evolutionary framework to investigate the costs and benefits to the individuals involved. You will learn about the very latest research on animals of all kinds, introducing you to amazing behaviours that at first seem puzzling to understand, but also challenging you to think differently about well-known examples. Topics include reproduction, sociality and communication and how the study of non-human animals helps us to understand behaviour in our own species. You will develop skills in critical thinking, data interpretation and scientific writing.

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and have inspired the development of some of the most far-reaching theories in ecology. These ecosystems are distributed throughout the tropics and often dominate shallow seas. They are important for billions of people worldwide yet are under increasing threat from climate change and direct disturbances. This module will provide you with a grounding in biology, ecology and evolution of hard corals and reef fishes, building on broad ecological principles from previous years. You will apply this understanding to evaluate threats and their potential solutions, developing critical knowledge on the most complex habitat in the oceans. Specifically, you will explore how and where coral reefs have emerged through time and thrived in the oceans, the behavioural and community dynamics that allow such an enormous variety of species to coexist and emerging threats and solutions to their continued existence.

This module takes a critical and yet hands-on approach to exploring the role of eco-innovation as a pathway towards sustainable development. Through action-learning, you will identify and address real-world sustainability challenges by developing your own eco-innovation proposals – viable ideas with the potential to reduce human impact on the environment whilst simultaneously delivering to the economic and social ambitions of global sustainable development. You will work in small teams, while being introduced to key sustainability concepts and business planning approaches that can be combined to develop effective eco-innovations. Gain valuable transferable skills including team working, problem analysis and framing, and effective oral and written communication to professional and non-academic audiences. By the end of the module, you will have developed a deep understanding of the intersection between sustainability and innovation, along with practical skills and increased confidence to help them drive change in the real world.

Explore the social, political and environmental challenges facing food systems in the world today. You’ll examine the history, culture and development of contemporary food production, focusing on how we interact with plants, animals and the land. Key debates will centre around food security and food sovereignty, using global case studies to reveal the connections between changing diets, landscapes and agrarian reform. You’ll be challenged to think critically and creatively about the future of food, developing innovative alternatives. Practical sessions will give you the chance to explore different ways of thinking about food and agriculture, and how these perspectives are rooted in broader political, environmental and social philosophies.

All living organisms are susceptible to parasitism, but this pervasive mode of interaction is an underappreciated feature of ecosystems. Explore the range and complexity of interactions between parasites and their hosts. The outcomes of host-parasite interactions are determined by the balance between host defences, parasite virulence and environmental factors. We will use this ‘disease triangle’ as a basis from which to understand the relationships between hosts and parasites. You will examine the ways in which parasites infect and manipulate their hosts to their own benefit and in turn, discover the different strategies that plants and animals use to defend themselves. The conflict between parasite virulence and host defence is a classic illustration of co-evolution: a theme that will be central to the module. You will also discover how host-parasite interactions are influenced by environmental conditions and ecological communities and the implications of these effects for disease transmission.

Conservation is as much about human behaviours and values as it is about species and biological diversity. As a field, conservation science has come to recognise the complex nature of environmental challenges, requiring a blend of knowledge from various disciplines. While the foundations of conservation are still in traditional biology, the incorporation of social sciences, economics and law are increasing. This module introduces you to the increasingly holistic approach to conservation, emphasising the interplay between ecological and social systems, that recognises human behaviours, economic pressures and cultural values alongside biological factors. The need for collaboration across diverse stakeholders will be explored. Through case studies, you will learn to apply interdisciplinary frameworks to real-world scenarios, to recognise and engage with the often conflicting values and priorities. The module will prepare you for careers in conservation organisations, government agencies and research institutions, empowering you to become effective agents of environmental change.

Based on the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, gain hands-on experience studying UK intertidal and subtidal ecosystems, focusing on ecological patterns, processes and field research techniques. You’ll explore rocky shores, sandy beaches and underwater habitats while investigating biodiversity, species interactions and the effects of environmental gradients. Activities will include ecological surveying, species identification, habitat mapping and experimental design. You’ll learn to analyse ecological data using statistical techniques and interpret marine community structure and function patterns. A major part of the module is an independent research project, giving you the chance to design, carry out and present your own ecological study. With a strong focus on field skills, critical thinking and scientific communication, this module equips you with valuable experience in marine ecological research.

Our planet is shaped by ongoing geological, climatic and ecological processes that are increasingly dominated by mankind. Everywhere you look you will find change, but not all changes are important. To make informed decisions, we need to know how to test ideas and identify reliable trends. This module will teach you how to overlay spatial layers to answer increasingly complex questions about when and where changes are happening, whether they are connected, what is occurring in locations with incomplete data and to predict the magnitude and distribution of impacts? As more and more data is collected and shared by networked devices, corporations and remote sensing technologies, understanding spatial relationships is crucial. The operations of most industries already depend on geospatial analysts and this module will teach you skills needed to take advantage of the digital age.

Despite delivering abundant cheap food, farmers and society have economic, environmental and social concerns about our modern resource-intensive agricultural systems. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of current intensive and proposed extensive agricultural systems by examining their food production, resource use, efficiency and environmental impacts. You’ll be introduced to key sustainability metrics such as carbon and water footprints and delve into the biological mechanisms behind a range of agronomic techniques. The module also looks at how agriculture contributes to ecosystem services. Through hands-on workshop sessions, you’ll compare microbial inoculants (bio-fertilisers) with synthetic fertilisers in a greenhouse-based plant growth trial and take part in a virtual farm management exercise to identify strategies for making UK agriculture more economically and environmentally sustainable.

Do you want to entertain and inspire children and the public in STEM? With an introduction to teaching as well as wider engagement opportunities, learn how to understand your audience and how to engage and enliven them. You will also learn how to balance this with educating them and presenting science in a way that’s appropriate to your audience. We include an introduction to pedagogy, how to inspire school pupils and how to use traditional and new media for science communication.

You will deliver an activity of your choosing to an audience. This could be a lesson at school, engaging with children at a large outreach event or delivering a public lecture. In addition, you will also reflect on your activity to discuss what you’ve learnt and what changes you would make. You can deliver this by either video, podcast or article.

Africa’s Great Rift Valley is home to some of the richest biodiversity on the planet. Take a trip to Kenya to explore a wide range of habitats and encounter a remarkable variety of species, gaining insight into their ecology, behaviour and conservation challenges. You’ll visit locations with varying levels of protection, from private game reserves and national parks to unmanaged landscapes, allowing you to compare conservation strategies in practice. Alongside unforgettable encounters with African wildlife, you’ll build essential field skills and develop a strong understanding of tropical ecosystems and the complex threats they face.

Conduct an independent research project on a specific topic within your field of study and present your findings in an extensive report. Throughout your project, you will receive one-to-one support from a member of academic staff. This is the largest piece of work that you will complete during your degree and, depending on your subject area, it will enable you to develop skills including formulating a research question; contextualising it within research literature; identifying and using appropriate research methods and techniques with which to address your question; collecting and analysing data; and interpreting your findings. Overall, the aim is to demonstrate your ability to conduct rigorous, independent academic work and communicate its outcomes clearly and effectively.

Global food security means ensuring that everyone, everywhere, always has access to an affordable supply of safe and nutritious food. Today, up to a billion people remain undernourished, while many others face health issues linked to over-consumption. This interdisciplinary module explores the wide range of local and global factors that influence food availability, accessibility and utilisation. You’ll examine what makes a diet healthy and how access to key nutrients can be improved, for example through fish consumption or crop biofortification. The module also looks at how climate change affects food production, by influencing key biological processes like photosynthesis and reproductive development. You’ll explore the complex interplay between food, water and energy security, and assess the environmental footprint of the global food system, recognising the diverse needs and priorities of local communities who depend on food-producing regions.

Discover research advances in the field of ecology and conservation that provide key skills for working in the era of big data. You will be taught by world-leading researchers who are experts in biodiversity from coral reefs to tropical forests and freshwater lakes, ensuring deep understanding of how data science can generate actionable insights for global conservation. Throughout the module, you will understand the principles behind data science tools and techniques at the forefront of developing both fundamental understanding of the natural world and urgent solutions to the global biodiversity crisis.

Explore in-depth aquatic ecology, focusing on both freshwater and marine ecosystems. You will examine key ecological concepts such as species interactions, energy flow, nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning across different aquatic environments. The module will explore how physical, chemical and biological factors shape the structure and dynamics of both marine and freshwater habitats. Through case studies, fieldwork and practical applications, you will investigate the ecological processes in lakes, rivers, coastal zones and oceans and develop skills in data analysis, biological monitoring and conservation strategies. Special attention will be given to the conservation and management of aquatic habitats, with a focus on sustainable practices. You will develop a broad understanding of aquatic ecology and the skills required to address contemporary challenges in both freshwater and marine environments.

Conservation is as much about human behaviours and values as it is about species and biological diversity. Conservation science has come to recognise the complex nature of environmental challenges, requiring a blend of knowledge from various disciplines. While the foundations of conservation are still in traditional biology, the incorporation of social sciences, economics and law are increasing. This module will introduce you to the increasingly holistic approach to conservation, emphasising the interplay between ecological and social systems, that recognises human behaviours, economic pressures and cultural values alongside biological factors. You will also explore the need for collaboration across diverse stakeholders. Through case studies, students will learn to apply interdisciplinary frameworks to real-world scenarios, to recognise and engage with the often-conflicting values and priorities. The course will prepare you for careers in conservation organisations, government agencies and research institutions, empowering you to become effective agents of environmental change.

Employers in the ecology and conservation sector place significant value on field skills as they are essential for effective, hands-on data collection and analysis. You will gain knowledge of identification of plants and animals to different taxonomic level depending on the group. The module also focuses on practical methods of sampling populations, monitoring habitats and assessing biodiversity and ecosystem services, which are crucial for understanding ecosystem health and supporting conservation efforts. You will also develop sampling protocols, collect data from the field and use analytical techniques to address ecological questions. The module has a strong field component taking advantages of the natural habitats both in campus and the protected landscapes near Lancaster.

Develop your understanding of the ecological principles of habitat management for biodiversity conservation and how these can be applied to manage a range of priority habitats in the UK. Looking at a range of habitat types you will critically examine the construction of their habitat management plans. Following this you will gain experience in writing such a plan with specified conservation objectives, threats identified and management actions defined. You will learn how to take into account the dynamic nature of ecosystems and conflicts of interest in land use. The module is taught by a mix of lectures and workshops on campus and excursions to local nature reserves where you will interact with reserve managers and take part in field activities.