Objectives of Programme's Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes of UE

Objective: To learn the tools for studying pollination through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary research project in which the student actively and intellectually participates from the beginning to the end of the project. This internship combines a field component with the discovery of standardized sampling of pollinators and detailed community descriptions. Next, a taxonomic component is addressed through the identification of pollinators and pollen grains. Subsequently, a modeling component is introduced with the analysis of pollination networks. Finally, a trait collection component is carried out through the description of the pollination diets of several pollinator species.
Key words: Biodiversity, conservation, ecology

UE Content: description and pedagogical relevance

Day 1: Description of a community and sampling of pollinators.
 A one-hour theoretical introduction to the study of pollination interactions at the ecosystem level is provided. This is followed by a description of the internship program and practical explanations. Students then move to the field to conduct sampling, likely on a spoil heap to maximize the specific richness of pollinators/plants. On the spoil heap, students are assigned to a site where they work in groups. The sites represent different communities so that they can compare and discuss their results. Throughout the day, students must: (i) Describe their site and complete the phytosociological survey, (ii) Collect floral samples for the palynotheca (Day 4), and (iii) Collect all pollinators observed in their communities, taking note of the observed plant-pollinator interactions.
Day 2: Preparation and identification of collections.
 Individuals sampled in the field are pinned and labeled according to entomological collection conventions. Students then have the day to identify as many individuals as possible that they have collected, using identification keys.
Day 3: Pollination network modeling.
 Students complete the identification of their specimens. This is followed by a practical presentation on modeling pollination networks. Once this is completed, they build their database and link each collected individual to the plant it interacted with. Pollination networks are then built in R and characterized using metrics. Students analyze the pollination network of their site. Finally, the different groups of students compare the different sites to discuss observed differences and implications for the communities.
Day 4: Construction of a palynotheca.
 A theoretical introduction to the advantages, methods, and tools of palynology is provided. Using the samples collected on Day 1, students then create the palynotheca of plant species from their sites. They also learn to use identification aids and practice identifying pollen grains through several exercises. Then, they try to create an identification key for families and morphogroups of pollen grains and test it on certain slides.
Day 5: Analysis of the pollen diet of bees.
 Based on their keys and identification aids, students prepare pollen slides and attempt to identify the pollen diet of bee species selected for their specialized diets. They then compare the description of the pollen diet of generalist species and analyze the pollen of bees collected at their sites.

Prior Experience

Ecology, botany; zoology, entomology