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Teaching landscape ecology: the importance of field-oriented, inquiry-based approaches

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Abstract

Context

Landscape ecology has traditionally been taught through theoretical classes or computer labs. On the other hand, field labs have been generally less used as a way of teaching landscape ecology concepts.

Objectives

We show that field labs with an inquiry-based approach, where students are involved in the investigation, are feasible for training students in landscape ecology. We evaluated how common field labs are in landscape ecology courses, and also their contribution for student learning.

Methods

We evaluated whether field labs are used in landscape ecology courses by scanning available syllabi. We also used outcomes from a course offered in Brazil to show how field labs can be integrated into landscape ecology courses.

Results

Only 18.2 % of the 44 syllabi we found had field labs. The case study developed in Brazil showed that field labs allowed students to develop important skills, including the ability to design field studies, choose appropriate scales of analysis, detect ecological patterns, and judge multiple hypotheses.

Conclusions

Field labs are still uncommon in landscape ecology courses, but they can be a useful tool to teach landscape ecology concepts and to help students developing the necessary skills to do research. We offer recommendations regarding how to incorporate field labs in landscape ecology courses.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Brazilian students that attended the two courses, and the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Nicholas J. Locke of the Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA), for the support for the courses. Financial support was provided by PNPD-CAPES (scholarship to M. A. Gomes, Process No. 2923/2011 ), FAPESP (scholarship to J. A. Prevedello, Process No. 2013/03457-1) and CNPq (research fellowship to JP Metzger, Process No. 307934/2011-0). We also thank Amanda Northrop for reviewing the English on a previous version of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Jayme Augusto Prevedello

    Present address: Landscape Ecology Lab, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550900, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Vertebrates, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho 373, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil

    Mauricio Almeida-Gomes

  2. Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Conservation, Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil

    Jayme Augusto Prevedello & Jean Paul Metzger

  3. Laboratory of Inquiry-Based Biology Education, Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 101, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil

    Daniela Lopes Scarpa

Authors
  1. Mauricio Almeida-Gomes
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  2. Jayme Augusto Prevedello
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  3. Daniela Lopes Scarpa
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  4. Jean Paul Metzger
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauricio Almeida-Gomes.

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Almeida-Gomes, M., Prevedello, J.A., Scarpa, D.L. et al. Teaching landscape ecology: the importance of field-oriented, inquiry-based approaches. Landscape Ecol 31, 929–937 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0338-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0338-1

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