Print Syllabus

Syllabus

BI1302 Fish and Wildlife Census Techniques, 15.0 Credits

Inventeringsmetoder för vilt och fisk

Subjects

Forest Science Biology Biology Forest science

Education cycle

Master’s level

Modules

Title	Credits	Code
Single module	15.0	0301

Advanced study in the main field

Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Master’s level (A1N)

Grading scale

Language

English

Prior knowledge

Knowledge at basic level equivalent to 120 credits including

- 60 credits Biology including 15 credits Ecology or

- 60 credits Forest Science including 15 credits Ecology or

- 60 credits Natural Resource Management including 15 credits Ecology or

- 60 credits Environmental Sciences including 15 credits Ecology

and

- English 6

Objectives

The aim of the course is for the student to learn how to plan inventories, apply the most important inventory methods for fish and wildlife, to analyze and interpret the results from these investigations, and to understand the ethical aspects of handling and marking animals.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• Plan fish and wildlife censuses on the basis of problem formulation, method performance, labour and equipment requirements, legal constraints, and animal welfare and ethical issues.

• Conduct a selection of census techniques that are of importance for the sustainable management of fish and wildlife populations.

• Analyse, interpret, present and discuss data collected by various census techniques.

• Relate the handling of free-living animals during surveys and sampling to the ethics and legislation of animal research.

Content

The student must do an individual project where the purpose is to plan censuses. The student chooses a species, but during a seminar all such student choices are coordinated in order to avoid overlap and to ensure a diversity of methods are covered within the course. The students are supervised during the project, but the project mainly relies on the student’s own work using the scientific literature. A number of real-life case studies will also be presented.

Teacher-supported training allows the students to plan, practice, compile and present the results from a selection of census techniques.

In order to learn the statistical calculations for the most common census techniques, the student will work with general statistical software (e.g. R, Excel), as well as method-specific software. A number of exercises will support the students learning, some of which may be compulsory and may vary from year to year.

An overview of current Swedish and European legislation and organization is presented concerning the handling of free-living animals in research. In a number of lectures, ethical issues like stress, anxiety, pain or suffering during handling, as well as organizational issues are discussed. Methods for anaesthesia of animals as well as sampling and injection methods are demonstrated and practiced. Lectures and exercises also cover how to deal with an application to an ethical committee on animal research.

Grading form

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Formats and requirements for examination

Approved written project report and and oral presentation, approved participation in compulsory excercises, approved written examination.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Additional information

The course is a part of the Master´s Programme in the Management of Fish and Wildlife Populations but is open to other students.



Students following the Forest Science programme at SLU meet the requirements of 15 credits in Ecology by the courses given over the first two years of the programme. The requirement of 15 credits in Ecology can also be met by the course SG0251 Forest Ecology 15 credits.



SLU is environmentally certified according to ISO 14001. A large part of our courses cover knowledge and skills that contribute positively to the environment. To further strengthen this, we have specific environmental goals for the education. Students are welcome to suggest actions regarding the course’s content and implementation that lead to improvements for the environment. For more information, see webpage www.slu.se.

Responsible department

Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Environmental Studies