Module Directory

This module provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in field-based environmental biology research in one of the most exciting, and currently rapidly changing, environments on earth – high latitude arctic ecosystems. Based out of the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station (Finland), students will experience working in arctic ecosystems and explore aspects of their ecology. Work will focus on adaptations to arctic environments present in local flora and fauna (animals and plants), in both terrestrial and freshwater habitats. The field course is split with the first half focusing on learning about the artic environment, and the second half allowing students to undertake their own mini-research projects.

This field course will provide students with the necessary skills to undertake environmental biology field research. This includes: skills in plant and animal ID alongside methods for recording these organisms in the field, use of a range of modern field research equipment and informatics/statistical analysis approaches. Experience will be gained in the design of research programmes, in data analysis, and in an oral presentation. These skills will be linked to improving your C.V., and further training in producing high quality scientific reports.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of the latest techniques and methods in field biology applied in arctic ecosystems that are experiencing unprecedented rates of climate warming,


• To increase students' understanding of biological interactions as central processes in ecosystems,


• To develop students' ability to undertake research projects and analyse, interpret, and present data,

To provide students with a range of transferable skills including individual, small-group and team working, IT, oral presentations and report writing, and problem solving.

By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of ecophysiology techniques, applications and supporting biological theory.


2. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of terrestrial and freshwater habitats comprising arctic ecosystems and the role biodiversity plays in supporting their ecosystem functioning.


3. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of flora and fauna from a range of habitats and the factors influencing species distribution and diversity.


4. Demonstrate competence and knowledge of the main methods used to identify common species of plants and animals from habitats studied.


5. Demonstrate competence in a range of key skills in (a) data analysis and interpretation (b) IT, oral presentations and report writing (c) problem solving.


6. Demonstrate competence in experimental design, data handling and analysis appropriate to environmental biology and ecophysiology and an ability to discuss results from practical work in the context of published work, methodological limitations, and environmental biology and/or evolutionary concepts.


7. Demonstrate competence in individual, small-group, and team-working approaches.

Module Cap Criteria

Due to when the field course runs (the summer before the students start their 2^nd year in Essex), we can not rely on eNROL to gauge student numbers. The School (as it has done previously for summer field courses) will inform students of this option in late February (presentation to all interested 1^st yrs) and collect potential numbers from that. If numbers look to exceed the field course centre capacity we will cap the course at that capacity.

Complimentary learning or prior knowledge

All students with the relevant degrees for this module will have undertaken 1^st yr modules that prepare them for this field course. No additional requirements are needed.

Syllabus information

• Altitudinal gradients in biodiversity and how these differ in arctic ecosystems compared with temperate systems.


• Basic data analysis and presentation of scientific results.


• Plant ecophysiology and examine plant adaptations to high latitude arctic systems, as well their contribution to overall primary productivity.


• Data analysis and statistics.


• Forest ecology and the role of aboveground-belowground interactions and the role of soil biota in plant community dynamics.


• Freshwater ecology of streams and lakes in the arctic.


• Presenting scientific results and integration with previous literature.


• Student mini project work in Arctic ecosystems.


• Data analysis, presentation of results and preparation for oral presentations.

Taught Sessions:

Day 1: Lecture and practical on altitudinal gradients in biodiversity and how these differ in arctic ecosystems compared with temperate systems. Workshop will focus on basic data analysis and the presentation of scientific results. 

Day 2: Lecture and practical on plant ecophysiology and examine plant adaptations to high latitude arctic systems, as well their contribution to overall primary productivity. Workshop will focus on data analysis (including image interpretation and statistics (part 1). 

Day 3: Lecture and practical on forest ecology and the role of aboveground-belowground interactions and the role of soil biota in plant community dynamics. Workshop will focus on data analysis and statistics (part 2). 

Day 4: Lecture and practical on freshwater ecology of streams and lakes in the arctic. Workshop will focus on presenting scientific results and integration with previous literature (SPF).

Group Project Work:

Day 5-7 are for students project work and will focus on planning and undertaking research on their own using the skills they have gained from days 1-4.

Day 5: AM: project and risk and environmental impact assessment planning. PM: project work.

Day 6: Project work.

Day 7: AM: project work. PM (afternoon) project data analysis, presentation of results and preparation for oral presentations. PM (evening) oral presentations.

Days 1-4 will focus on providing students with key skills in environmental biology related to arctic ecosystems, while days 5-7 will allow students to use these skills in research projects of their own design. Each day will contain a lecture describing the theory and techniques behind the practical work, followed by field research employing the newly learned theory and techniques. The workshops and worksheet assessments are designed to increase students competencies with key data analysis skills, and after days 1-4 students will be able to input, statistically analyse, present and interpret (with reference to published work) a range of environmental biology data. Worksheets will be marked and feedback returned to the students the following day, allowing continuous improvements in these key skills areas. Students will work on worksheet problems individually and conduct practicals in pairs, building skills in working in different situations.

Learning and Teaching Methods

The course will run an intensive schedule, working from 09:00-21:00 daily (12 contact hours per day). Days 1-4 will comprise 2 hr lectures, 3 hr seminars/workshops, 6 hr practicals (including assessments). Days 5-7 will comprise 12 hr per day of student project work with academic support, split as 20% planning, 50% conducting project, 30% DAI and oral presentation.