Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/M006379/1
Insect Taxonomy and Field Sampling Skills
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr JMR Hughes, University of Oxford, Continuing Education
- Grant held at:
- University of Oxford, Continuing Education
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Abstract:
- The proposed 5 day postgraduate and professional training course in insect taxonomy and field sampling skills will provide an essential overview of taxonomic theory, identification skills, basic field sampling and specimen preservation techniques, followed by two options: 1) Carabidae (ground beetles) or 2) Pollinators - Apidae (social and solitary bees). Students will be introduced to microscopy for identification and to digital imaging of insects. Guest lectures on 1) molecular techniques, 2)using taxonomic data to answer ecological research questions, and 3) Lepidoptera and Diptera taxonomy, will provide added insight and discussion to the core topics. The course will provide timetabled opportunities for students to discuss their own specimens and research and to help resolve any identification issues. Uniqueness The course will be primarily situated in the University of Oxford's Museum of Natural History, a unique historic building in the heart of the city. The Museum houses the second largest insect collection in the UK, through which students will be given a tour and have access to on Day 1. The excellent teaching facilities offered by the Museum together with the experience and approachability of the tutors will provide an outstanding forum for students to progress their own studies and gain confidence in the identification and taxonomy of insects. A short walk away from the Museum of Natural History lie the University Parks and Marston Meadows where students will have the chance to practice entomological survey techniques and discuss sampling strategies. Impact Any research involving biodiversity assessments and monitoring, organism-environment interrelationships, quantification of ecosystem services and processes, will use 'species' as the basic unit of investigation. Having the knowledge and confidence to identify and classify 'species' is a basic research tool. Both student and tutor feedback on this course (first run with a NERC PPSDA grant in January 2014) was extremely positive. The majority of the students strongly agreed with the statements that the course: was interesting and enjoyable; was at an appropriate level of difficulty; provided them with concepts/techniques that will be useful in the future; had an excellent standard of teaching and that the tutors were approachable and effective. Student feedback highlighted some gaps that were not covered in the course. Responses included a large number who felt that the course adequately covered their needs, specific requests for more focus on Apidae, Diptera, and freshwater Coleoptera, and those who felt that they would like an opportunity to cover all of the specialist areas. Time simply wouldn't allow for all of these topics to be explored in depth and so we have adapted the 2014-15 programme to include three guest lectures, we have reduced the optional strands from three to two (minus freshwater macro-invertebrates) and created a second course focussing purely on Freshwater Ecology Techniques (also submitted to this NERC funding round). We feel that this adaption provides students with a more focussed course on Insect Taxonomy which allows more time to be spent on individual student identification issues. This short course will seek to fill a well identified gap in taxonomy and field identification skills provision in the UK. There has been a demonstrated and marked decline in taxonomic expertise caused by: the retirement of a generation of taxonomic specialists, a decline in taxonomic skills being taught in universities, and therefore fewer young scientists having taxonomic skills. The vital taxonomic and survey research skills the students will develop on this short course are highly transferable and valued by academia, consultancies, NGO's and industrial employers across the sector.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/M006379/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Advanced Training
This training grant award has a total value of £46,386
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs |
|---|
| £46,386 |
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