Module 1: Methods in Ecological Study [3 Practicals = 9 hrs]

1. Various techniques for studying plant populations and communities, such as quadrats, transects (line, belt), in ecological study

2. Various sampling techniques (random, stratified, cluster) and their uses in ecological studies

3. Collect field data (vegetation) using different techniques and sampling strategies

4. Various techniques of studying animal populations (pans, pitfalls, light traps, sweeps and distances)

5. Publish data as a scientific report (Effective practical/lab report writing in ecology)

Module 2: Community Analysis [7 Practicals = 21 hrs]

6. Sampling vegetation and graphical exercises (cumulative distribution curves, species composition: abundance and Euclidean distances, species area curves, scatter plots, log transformations)

7. Estimate species richness, evenness, and diversity of the community (plant and animal) using different indices

8. Study on intraspecific aggregation of species using indices

9. Study species interaction/association using statistical methods

10. Study on community similarity/dissimilarity using statistical methods

11. Cluster analysis on the distribution of vegetation communities

Module 3: Gradient Analysis [2 Practicals + 1 Day Field = 15 hrs]

12. Ordination analysis of vegetation

13. Gradient analysis of vegetation along different environmental gradients (altitude, disturbance)

Module 4: Carbon Stock Estimation of Ecosystems (Grasslands and Forests) [5 Practicals = 15 hrs]

14. Estimation of above and below-ground carbon stock

15. Estimation of soil organic carbon

16. Estimation of the total carbon stock of the ecosystem

17. Fitting regression models (including checking assumptions like normal distribution of residuals, homoscedasticity and independent errors) for response variables and predictors in the vegetation study

Module 5: Assessment of Lake Ecology [5 Practicals = 15 hrs]

18. Ecological assessment of standing water bodies by applying the Biotic Index

19. Determination of candidate metrics of aquatic organisms: macroinvertebrates and macrophytes to understand the response to stress

20. Determination of primary production (light and dark bottle oxygen technique) in a fish pond and a natural lake

21. Determination of composition and biomass of zooplankton and phytoplankton (depth-wise sampling and analysis)

Module 6: Assessment of River Ecology [5 Practicals = 15 hrs]

22. Application of biotic index for assessing ecological health of undisturbed and disturbed river sections

23. Determination of candidate metrics between undisturbed and disturbed river sections

24. Application of screening protocol for river quality mapping

25. Understanding the impacts of environmental variables in determining macroinvertebrate compositions

References

1. Kent, M. (2012). Vegetation description and data analysis: a practical approach. (2nd Ed). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.
2. Southwood, T.R.E., & Henderson, P. A. (2009). Ecological methods (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
3. Tachamo Shah, R.D., Shah, D.N., & Nesemann, H. (2011). Development of a macroinvertebrate-based Nepal Lake Biotic Index (NLBI): an applied method for assessing the ecological quality of lakes and reservoirs in Nepal. International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 1, 1/2.
4. Tachamo Shah, R.D., & Shah, D.N.(2012). Performance of different biotic indices assessing the ecological status of rivers in the Central Himalaya. Ecological Indicators, 23, 447–452.
5. Tachamo Shah, R.D., & Shah, D.N.(2013). Evaluation of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage for disturbance zonation in urban rivers using multivariate analysis: implications for river management. Journal of Earth System Sciences, 122, 4, 1125–1139.