Ecological Monitoring
Ecological monitoring is a key aspect of protected areas management. Completing the 4 units will set the foundation to understanding what ecological monitoring is, and how it works.About this course
Ecological monitoring plays a pivotal role in protected areas management. These four course units serve as the foundational steps toward comprehending the principles and practices of ecological monitoring.
This crucial component of adaptive management in protected areas involves systematic, ongoing data collection to address specific questions. It may also involve comparing collected data against established standards, such as baseline conditions or desired states, and demands precise knowledge, established techniques, and specialized data analysis.
What you’ll learn
The completion of the four units establishes the foundational knowledge necessary for comprehending the principles of ecological monitoring (EM) and its function within the management of protected areas. EM plays a pivotal role in the practice of adaptive management within these areas, involving the systematic and ongoing collection of environmental data to address specific inquiries.
This approach can also be employed to compare data from the area of interest with predetermined benchmarks, such as baseline conditions (e.g., initial species population) or desired states (e.g., optimal vegetation conditions in the absence of external pressures). Ecological monitoring demands a high degree of precision, employs well-established techniques, and necessitates specialized data analysis.
Course partners
Course outline
Several sessions of the MOOC are organised each year.
UNIT 1 – ECOLOGICAL MONITORING AND ITS DESIGN
This unit is a general introduction to the MOOC, and it establishes the foundation to start the course well.
| N° | Sequence | Description |
| Recommended reading | ||
| 1.0 | MOOC introduction | General presentation of the course |
| 1.1 | Unit introduction | Detailed outline of unit 1 |
| 1.2 | Why do we monitor? | The importance of monitoring a PA’s ecology |
| 1.3 | What is EM? | EM definition, complexity and diversity |
| 1.4 | What is EM for? | Possible uses of EM, examples and testimonies |
| 1.5 | Setting EM goals | Values, key ecological attributes, conservation goals, indicators |
| QUIZ 1A | ||
| 1.6 | How to choose the monitoring method? | Collecting data according to the different KEAs |
| 1.7 | Sampling KEAs for EM | Sampling logic, total/partial, random, stratified |
| 1.8 | Effective monitoring at the best cost | How to choose according to costs and means available |
| 1.9 | Data analysis | Implementation, processing, decision-making |
| 1.10 | Summary | Unit 1 summary |
| QUIZ 1B | ||
| Exam 1 – Graded quiz on unit 1 | ||
UNIT 2 – STATISTICS
This unit specifically looks at EM techniques.
| N° | Sequence | Description |
| Recommended readings | ||
| 2.1 | Unit introduction | Unit intro – outline – goals |
| 2.2 | Statistics: basic notions | Basic notions: variables, populations, samples |
| 2.2 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.2 |
| 2.3 | Numerical summaries | Frequency, exploratory analysis, median, variance |
| 2.3 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.3 |
| 2.4 | Graphical summary | Pie charts, bar charts and box plots |
| 2.4 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.4 |
| 2.5 | Population distribution models | Some population distribution models (normal, Poisson distribution, exponential), numerical summaries and models, choosing a model. |
| 2.5 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.5 |
| 2.6 | Estimattion | Estimators, calibration, method of moments, Maximum Likelihood Estimator |
| 2.6 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.6 |
| 2.7 | Confidence intervals | Estimate, confidence |
| 2.7 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.7 |
| 2.8 | Hypothesis tests | Compare theories and data |
| 2.8 bis | Summary and example | Summary and example of sequence 2.8 |
| 2.9 | Jolly method | Jolly method |
| Exam 2 – Graded quiz on units 1 and 2 | ||
UNIT 3 – TECHNIQUES
This module lays out EM practical techniques.
| N° | Sequence | Description |
| Recommended reading | ||
| 3.1 | Unit introduction | Unit introduction – outline – goals |
| 3.2 | Basics of ecology | Identifying attributes |
| 3.3 | Basics of ecology | Choosing the method and the sample |
| QUIZ 3A | ||
| 3.4 | Monitoring abiotic factors | Important abiotic factors, measuring techniques, uses and benefits |
| 3.5 | Monitoring plants | Understanding and monitoring plant communities, the structure and the evolution of an ecosystem’s vegetation |
| QUIZ 3B | ||
| 3.6 | Monitoring large mammals: directly | Direct observation methods, travelling counts, IKA, stationary counts, transects,
presenting results, decision-making |
| 3.7 | Monitoring large mammals: indirectly | Indirect methods, monitoring through tourism, villagers’ feedback, monitoring tracks and droppings, camera-traps, calling stations |
| QUIZ 3C | ||
| 3.8 | Case study: carnivores | Techniques, benefits, uses |
| 3.9 | Case study: primates | Techniques, benefits, uses |
| QUIZ 3D | ||
| 3.10 | Case study: aerial count | Inflight inventory techniques, data processing, total or partial count, monitoring large species through satellite, drones and kites |
| 3.11 | Case study : mobile animals | Techniques, collars, bands, GPS, marking, Mark and Recapture |
| QUIZ 3E | ||
UNIT 4 – EXAMPLES OF EM
This unit illustrates the techniques presented in units 2 and 3 with a series of practical EM examples in different environments, on different species and at different scales.
| N° | Sequence | Description |
| Recommended reading | ||
| 4.1 | Unit introduction | Unit introduction – outline – goals |
| 4.2 | Levels of EM | Differents possibles levels, biomes, species, means |
| 4.3 | Example of EM on different PAs: NRT | Specificities and monitoring examples in several PAs |
| QUIZ 4A | ||
| 4.4 | EM example of a terrestrial PA: Nazinga | Specificities and monitoring examples in a terrestrial PA |
| 4.5 | EM example in a marine PA: Aldabra | Specificities and monitoring examples in a marine PA |
| 4.6 | EM example in the forest: Taï | Specificities and monitoring examples in the forest |
| 4.7 | EM example in the savanna: Comoé | Specificities and monitoring examples in the savanna |
| QUIZ 4B | ||
| 4.8 | EM example of populations: water-birds | Specificities and monitoring examples of water-bird populations |
| 4.9 | EM example elephants | Specificities and monitoring examples of elephants |
| 4.10 | 20 golden rules | EM golden rules |
| Final exam – Graded quiz based on the entire course | ||
Requirements
No prerequisites
