Modules

Prerequisites

Contents

Physical and chemical properties of water. Running water ecosystems: Characteristics, variability and typology, connected functional compartments and main groups of organisms, ecosystem functioning, matter transformation and ecosystem services. Ponds and lakes: Genesis and typology, biogeochemistry of water and sediment, habitats and organisms; lake shores and macrophyte ecology. Main water quality problems related to agriculture, forestry, urbanization and mining; eutrophication, acidification, salinization, siltation, contamination, effects of neobiota; hydromorphological degradation of streams and rivers; loss of ecosystem services in degraded freshwaters; expected impacts of climate change. Principles of sustainable water management; principles of lake diagnosis, quality assessment and evaluation as prerequisites for mitigation and restoration; EU Water Framework Directive; overview on strategies to conserve and improve impacted freshwaters.

Learning outcomes

Students understand freshwaters as ecosystems and know the ecological principles underlying ecological management and how to differentiate between naturally and anthropogenically introduced variability in freshwater ecosystems. They know the main groups of freshwater organisms, and understand the functioning and biogeochemical role of lake and stream ecosystems and their role in landscapes. Specifically, students understand how freshwater organisms achieve the freshwater ecosystem services that humans require. Students know the main anthropogenic impacts on freshwater resources. They understand the consequences of these impacts through their interaction with ecological processes. Students will thus be able to evaluate the consequences of major impacts to aquatic organisms and ecosystem functioning and related those to the European Water Framework Directive as the base for evaluation and management of freshwater resources.

Assessment

• Three written exams during the semester. Each partial exam counts for 25% of the module grade. • Students earn the remaining 25% of points via continued assessment through five work portfolios (ca. 1000 words each), five self-assessments, two exercises (4 questions/calculations each) and an oral exam (10 min). An opportunity to re-write a partial exam in the second examination period is only offered to students on sick leave.

Remarks

The module is taught as online course via Moodle. The course follows a blended learning concept in a strict weekly rhythm. It consists of A) self-organized study of the learning material of the week (learning and lecture videos, reading material, exercises) and B) live meetings in the online classroom for clarification of open questions and discussions to reflect and consolidate the understanding of the past week’s learning material. The blended learning in weekly rhythm requires continuous participation. Enrolment in the Moodle course is mandatory for this module. The module starts with an online meeting on the first Monday of the semester. All three partial exams will be closed book exams and take place in presence in the course of the semester. The module is a mandatory prerequisite for the course Freshwater Restoration Ecology (module 42505) which is offered in summer semester.