E2241 Effects of Stressors in Ecosystems - Practicals

Faculty of Science
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
0/0/3. 3 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Klára Hilscherová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
prof. Ing. Blahoslav Maršálek, CSc. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites (in Czech)
NOW( E2240 Effects Stress in Ecosys )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to acquire selected practical experience and skills necessary to evaluate the influence of different types of stressors on aquatic, terrestrial and soil ecosystems.
Learning outcomes
After the course students will be able to understand principles of sampling of soil, water, sediments, aquatic, soil and terrestrial biota. They will be able to recognise fecal and trophic pollution and bioindications of this pollution, practically assess and discuss various approaches to waste water treatment, critically evaluate and interpret the context of processes in aquatic environment also in relation to the impact of different type of stressors. They will be able to assess soil biological quality using several simple methods. They will know how to assess plant communities and selected bioindicators.
Syllabus
  • 1. Practical (field) excursion of lotic and lentic ecosystems affected by various levels of anthropogenic factors. Characterization of surrounding and aquatic environment, mapping, sampling protocols, estimation of human effects on the ecosystem. Sampling (water, sediments), transport and storage, suggestion of testing scheme (one-species tests, multispecies tests, mesocosms). Protocols for locality characterisation, sampling and testing. Measurement of oxygen, pH, transparency temperature and other parameters in water directly in the field. Sampling of aquatic biota, identification of the main groups of organisms and their bioindication potential.
  • 2. Field trip to waste water treatment plant, practical demonstration of treatment processes and modern technologies
  • 3. Field excursion to the contaminated site, demonstration of the influence on the terrestrial ecosystem. Site characteristics, assessment of the degradation. Analysis of plant community. Sampling of soil biota. Terrestrial bioindicators. Soil samples - collection, transport, handling. Proposal of parameters, further testing. Recognition of soil condition - soil mini-probe, possible terrain measurement.
  • 4. Methods for soil microbial biomass, activities and diversity. Laboratory techniques.
Literature
  • Hill, I.R. et al. Freshwater field tests for hazard assessment of chemicals. CRC Press, 1994m Boca Raton, Florida.
  • Rand, G.M. Fundamentals of aquatic toxicology. Taylor and Francis, 1995, Washington D.C.
  • HARTMAN, Pavel, Ivo PŘIKRYL and Eduard ŠTĚDRONSKÝ. Hydrobiologie. 2. přeprac. vyd. Praha: INFORMATORIUM, 1998, 335 s. ISBN 80-86073-27-0. info
Teaching methods
The course is realised as practical field excursion, which is focused on the bioindication and the ability of sampling soil, water, sediments and aquatic biota.
Assessment methods
Requirements for the credit: active presence at the excursions
students have to prove the ability to collect samples of soils, water, sediments and recognize the type of pollution
and the ability to measure basic chemical and physical parameters of soil and water quality in the field
as well as understanding of current water treatment technologies
and measure soil microbial biomass, respiration, nitrification and functional diversity
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2021/E2241