Redes Ecológicas from Coursera

Todos os seres vivos estão conectados entre si por interações ecológicas, formando a “colina emaranhada” de Darwin, metáfora inspirada pela “teia da vida” de Humboldt. Desemaranhar essa complexidade é uma tarefa desafiadora, mas factível, desde que você use ferramentas adequadas. A ciência de redes nos ajuda com excelentes ferramentas conceituais e operacionais.

Você aceita este chamado para a aventura? Então venha comigo aprender os fundamentos sobre redes ecológicas!

Seguindo esse espírito, este curso visa ajudar pessoas interessadas em dar seus primeiros passos na análise de redes aplicada à Ecologia. Este é um curso introdutório, focado especialmente em redes de interações. Redes sociais e redes espaciais também são mencionadas, mas não de forma aprofundada, nas diversas atividades do curso.

Dedicando-se a essas atividades durante quatro semanas, ao final deste curso você terá adquirido uma visão geral sobre as teorias que orientam o estudo de redes ecológicas. Além disso, você será capaz de analisar gráfica- e numericamente, além de interpretar, dados de redes usando a linguagem de programação R.

Dessa forma, para aproveitar bem este curso você deve dominar habilidades básicas na linguagem R, além de ter familiaridade com conceitos básicos em Ecologia em nível de graduação. Mais concretamente, é importante que você já saiba como importar dados para o R, além de usar pacotes e rodar funções. Não é necessário saber construir funções personalizadas (UDFs).

Para ir além, aproveitando o conteúdo extra sugerido para aprofundamento posterior ao curso, é recomendável saber ler em inglês. Vale lembrar também que a ajuda dos pacotes e funções do R é toda escrita em inglês, então dominar a leitura nesse idioma também é importante para analisar dados com mais desenvoltura.

Também é importante mencionar que diversos conceitos estatísticos são mencionados no curso. Portanto, ter conhecimento básico sobre probabilidade, distribuições de dados, medidas de tendência central e medidas de dispersão ajuda muito.

Se você ainda não domina os fundamentos da linguagem R, recomendo que primeiro faça um dos excelentes cursos introdutórios disponíveis aqui na Coursera, como "R Programming" ou "The R Programming Environment". Há também aqui excelentes cursos introdutórios de estatística que podem lhe ensinar o básico sobre análise de dados.

What's inside

Syllabus

Fundamentos

Histórico, fundamentos e aplicações

Estrutura

Centralidade

Fechamento

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Formula uma base para iniciantes em análise de redes na ecologia

Oferece as ferramentas conceituais e operacionais da ciência de redes

Ensina recursos teóricos para o estudo de redes ecológicas

Possibilita a interpretação de dados de redes usando a linguagem de programação R

Requer conhecimentos sobre conceitos básicos de ecologia

Requer domínio da linguagem de programação R

Reviews summary

Highly praised ecology course

This course, titled Redes Ecológicas, has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students who found it to be highly informative, engaging, and well-taught.

Didactic and stimulating course.

"Curso muy didático e estimulante. Adorei"

Concepts are explained simply.

"A didática utilizada é muito boa, linguagem simples e acessível."

High-quality, practical activities.

"Excelente! O curso conta com aulas teóricas super didáticas e atividades práticas em R de alta qualidade."

Highly recommended course.

"Recomendo!!!"

"Recomendo fortemente!"

"Recomendo fortemente o curso!"

Important learning acquired.

"Foi muito importante o aprendizado adquirido durante as 4 semanas que realizei o curso."

Career center

Learners who complete Redes Ecológicas will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Ecologist

Ecologists study the interactions between organisms and their environment. To conduct their research, they analyze a range of data, including network data, to understand the relationships between species and their surroundings. As an Ecology major, you will develop the data analysis skills necessary to be successful in this role, particularly with network analyses specific to the field of ecology in R, a widely-used statistical programming language.

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Conservation Scientist

Conservation Scientists develop and implement strategies to protect and manage natural resources, working to preserve biodiversity and restore threatened or damaged ecosystems. This course is an excellent introduction to the network analysis techniques used by conservation scientists and will help you gain the foundational skills to understand the complex relationships in ecosystems.

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Environmental Consultant

Environmental Consultants advise businesses and organizations on how to reduce their environmental impact. For example, they might develop strategies to reduce pollution, conserve energy, or manage waste. Network analysis is often used in environmental consulting to understand the relationships between different environmental factors, such as the impact of pollution on wildlife populations. This course will give you the foundation you need to understand and apply these techniques.

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Wildlife Biologist

Wildlife Biologists study the behavior, ecology, and conservation of wild animals. They may work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, universities, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for wildlife biologists, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different species and their environment. This course will provide you with the skills you need to conduct network analyses and interpret the results.

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Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineers design and implement solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution control, water treatment, and waste management. Many environmental engineers use network analysis to understand the complex relationships in environmental systems, particularly in the context of urban planning and infrastructure development.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve problems and make informed decisions. They work in a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology. While this course is specific to network data rather than general data science, the skills and concepts learned from this course will give you a foundational understanding of working with complex datasets, cleaning and preparing data, and visualizing and analyzing data.

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Statistician

Statisticians collect, analyze, interpret, and present data. They work in a variety of industries, including government, healthcare, and business. Network analysis is a specialized field of statistics, and this course will provide you with the skills you need to understand and apply network analysis techniques to a variety of problems.

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Biostatistician

Biostatisticians apply statistical methods to solve problems in biology and medicine. They work in a variety of settings, including universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. Network analysis is a valuable tool for biostatisticians, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different biological factors, such as the spread of disease or the interactions between different genes.

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Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists investigate the causes of disease and other health problems in populations. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, universities, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for epidemiologists, as it can be used to understand the spread of disease and identify risk factors.

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Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use mathematical and analytical methods to solve problems in a variety of industries, including business, healthcare, and manufacturing. Network analysis is a valuable tool for operations research analysts, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different factors in a system and identify ways to improve efficiency.

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Transportation Planner

Transportation Planners develop and implement plans to improve transportation systems. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, consulting firms, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for transportation planners, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different parts of a transportation system and identify ways to improve efficiency.

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Urban Planner

Urban Planners develop and implement plans for the development and use of land in urban areas. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, consulting firms, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for urban planners, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different parts of a city and identify ways to improve livability.

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Sociologist

Sociologists study the behavior and interactions of humans in society. They work in a variety of settings, including universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for sociologists, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different social groups and identify ways to address social problems.

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Policy Analyst

Policy Analysts develop and analyze policies to address public problems. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, think tanks, and non-profit organizations. Network analysis is a valuable tool for policy analysts, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different stakeholders and identify ways to develop and implement effective policies.

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Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts design and implement computer systems. They work in a variety of industries, including business, healthcare, and government. Network analysis is a valuable tool for systems analysts, as it can be used to understand the relationships between different parts of a computer system and identify ways to improve efficiency and reliability.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst