This is a mostly practical course offering an overview on different community ecology and macroecological methods and software. These will include all steps of a research project, from the optimal sampling of communities to process inference from large-scale patterns of taxon, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Specific topics will be: (1) alpha, beta and gamma diversity; (2) estimating diversity from incomplete sampling; (3) partitioning taxonomic beta diversity; (4) community-assembly rules, (5) functional and phylogenetic diversity, (6) null models, (7) rarity and species abundance distribution. Finally, students will be asked to present own data and case studies.

This course can have a recognition of 6 ECTs for FCUL PhD students enrolling in it as part of their first doctoral year. For students only requiring 5 ECTs recognized in their specific PhD programmes  the last 6 hours of the course are not mandatory and the certificate will be on 'Topics in Applied methods in Community Ecology and Functional Ecology’.

Lecturer(s) or Responsable(s): Paulo A. V. Borges & François Rigal (Professor in the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour, collaborator in the Azorean Biodiversity Group, cE3c)
Date: February 13th, 2017 to February 17th, 2017
Deadline for Applications: January 16th, 2017