BIO9140 – Life-history strategies and climate effects

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

The students shall achieve a general understanding of what the life history concept includes, the basic theories on evolution of life history traits, and how key climate parameters might affect these traits. An important theme in relation to climate change is the extent to which organisms may respond on altered environmental conditions and how this is performed.

Learning outcome

After completing this course you have:

  • A general understanding of the life history concept.
  • Learned about basic theories on evolution of life history traits.
  • Understood how climate parameters affect these traits.
  • Improved your understanding of how and the extent to which organisms may respond on altered environmental conditions.
  • Improved your skill in presenting (orally and written) about these questions.

Admission

PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through Studentweb.

If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included. Some national researchers’ schools may have specific rules for ranking applicants for courses with limited intake capacity.

PhD candidates who have been admitted to another higher education institution must apply for a position as a visiting student within a given deadline.

The courses BIO4140 and BIO9140 have common admission. Applicants are ranked by the following criteria:
1. PhD students and master students at the MN faculty who have the course as part of the approved curriculum.
2. Other PhD students and visiting PhD students.
3. Students with admission to single courses on master’s level and exchange students
4. Applicants are ranked by credits in each group; all applicants within 1st rank before applicants in 2nd etc. If admission is limited to a fixed number of participants, admission will be decided by drawing lots for students who are ranked equally

Prerequisites

Recommended previous knowledge

Bachelor degree in biology or similar. Good basic knowledge in ecology and evolution.

Teaching

 

The course will be based on the following elements:

  • Lectures presenting general life history theory and case studies.
  • Data labs - where students will work with selected practical problems.
  • Group presentations where selected topics are discussed in class.
  • All students must before the final exam have submitted an essay on a given topic (weighing 30% of the final mark).

First lecture is mandatory.  If you can not attend the first lecture, please send a note to studieinfo@ibv.uio.no, before the first lecture.

 

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

The student needs to have participated in the group work, given the prescribed lecture and submitted an essay (up to 10 pages) in addition to the final exam. Essay and final exam are graded (weight 30:70). Written exam 3 hours.

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: BIO4140 – Life-history Strategies and Climate Effects (continued), BIOS5112 – Life-history strategies and climate effects and BIOS9112 – Life-History Strategies and Climate Effects

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Facts about this course

Credits
10
Level
PhD
Teaching
Every autumn
Examination
Every autumn
Teaching language
Norwegian (English on request)