Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Assessment in the Coastal Margin (BESA) Course Outline 15 t h – 20 t h Feb 2015 Morning Sun Afternoon Evening Arrivals Free time (ice-breaker) Introduction to CBESS & sampling techniques for salt Sample design (UoS) 15th Mon 16th Introduction Course objectives outcomes & scope ‘How to design a field campaign?’ Group session marsh & mudflat habitats (UoStA1 & UoS2) Measuring system properties (e.g cryo-techniques) Methods for determining ecosystem services (e.g. CSM, NDVI, Gas flux, kaolin patches) Biodiversity measures (e.g. macrobenthos) Co-varying & co-linear factors, controlling for variation & applying random or stratified sampling across a habitat Health & safety Tues 17th Saltmarsh ecology (BU3 & CEH4) Mudflat ecology (UoStA) Field work: sampling a patchy community, field Field work: sampling of mudflat and mudflat/saltmarsh techniques, vegetation mapping transition zone University of St Andrews University of Southampton 3 Bangor University 4 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology 1 2 Analysis of data collected in field (UoStA & UoS) Morning Afternoon Evening Wed Further processing & analysis of data samples Macrofauna identification (UoS) Valuing coastal defence 18th (UoStA & UoS) Identification of key species and the function they Saltmarsh & mudflat macrofauna sorting (UoS) provide Sorting macrofauna collected in the field into Biological Traits Analysis (UoStA) morphospecies (UoStA) Lecture from a PhD student Measuring functional diversity using life history, morphological & behavioural characteristics Thurs 19th UAV sampling of intertidal habitats (SAMS 5) Field visit to RSPB6 Leighton Moss Reserve (RSPB) Case study using CBESS data Management & conservation priorities for coastal Up-scaling biodiversity distribution (SAMS) areas Using point measurements of biodiversity to inform management of ecosystem services at a landscape Fri ‘How to design a field campaign?’ review 20th Group session Summary, wrap up & feedback session NB: Course outline may change 5 6 Scottish Association for Marine Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Departures after lunch Course Dinner at local pub Albion