Course: Practicals of multivariate analysis of ecological data

« Back
Course title Practicals of multivariate analysis of ecological data
Course code KBO/130
Organizational form of instruction Lesson
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Frequency of the course In academic years starting with an odd year (e.g. 2017/2018), in the summer semester.
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 6
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Šmilauer Petr, doc. RNDr. Ph.D.
  • Lepš Jan, prof. RNDr. CSc.
Course content
Content of practicals: Students should enter the first block of practical with already prepared presentation of the research problem of their choice and with collected data, and they will explain the questions and data structure in their introductory presentation. Each individual presentation will be followed by a joint discussion focusing on the possible ways to analyses the data. In the remaining part of the first block, the students start to analyse their own data and both lecturers will be available to consult the progress. At the end of the first block, each student will be assigned a secondary project, chosen so that its topic is as far distant from his own (particularly from the point of view of required statistical methods) as possible. During the second block, the student submits a written report about the analysis of the secondary project and presents with a PPT presentation the main results of its primary project. Each presentation is followed by a joint discussion, guided by the student(s) who had the same project as his/her/theirs secondary project.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Demonstration, Projection, E-learning
  • Preparation for credit - 8 hours per semester
  • Preparation for classes - 48 hours per semester
  • Class attendance - 26 hours per semester
  • Semestral paper - 64 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
Students develop two different research "projects" starting from the data preparation into a form needed for their analysis, application of multiple statistical methods (appropriate for the questions being asked), up to the presentation of obtained results. Each student will practice both a written presentation of the project conclusions, as well as the oral presentation, and participation in a guided discussion. One of the projects is usually brought in by the student itself and represents part of the data (s)he collected for his (her) thesis, while the second project comes from a different participant, with the topic as much different as possible.
Students acquire the ability to analyze independently complex datasets obtained in biological research fields and also to present and discuss results of such analyses.
Prerequisites
Students already passed an introductory course of multivariate data analysis (KBO/332 or KBO/332E) and also eventually an introductory course about modern regression methods (KBE/050 či KBE/785E). Special course for Ph.D. study field Physiology and Developmental Biology, Ecosystem Biology, Botany and Entomology
KBO/332
----- or -----
KBO/332E

Assessment methods and criteria
Essay, Colloquium

Presentation of two chosen projects.
Recommended literature
  • Jongman R. H. et al. (1987): Data analysis in community and landscape ecology. - Pudoc, Wageningen.
  • P. Legendre, L. Legendre. Numerical Ecology. Third English Edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2012. ISBN 978-0-444-53868-0.
  • Šmilauer P., Lepš J. Multivariate analysis of ecological data using Canoco 5. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2014. ISBN 978-1-107-69440-8.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Hydrobiology (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Ecosystem Biology (1) Category: Ecology and environmental protection - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Botany (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Hydrobiology (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Ecosystem Biology (1) Category: Ecology and environmental protection - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Hydrobiology (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Botany (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Botany (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Ecosystem Biology (1) Category: Ecology and environmental protection - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Science Study plan (Version): Botany (1) Category: Biology courses - Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: -