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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2014/2015
- ARCHIVE as at 1 September 2014

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Geosciences : Ecological Science

Undergraduate Course: Land Use Policy (ECSC10013)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Geosciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaEcological Science Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionUsers of rural land in Britain are experiencing both inducements and constraints on what they may or may not do on this basic resource and increasingly wider public interests are influencing the boundaries within which social and economic activities are allowable.

This unit introduces students to a variety of discussion leaders from commercial, governmental and non-governmental organisations all with their own particular viewpoint and expertise in land use policy; and through presentations, seminars and visits explores the main inducements and constraints which have shaped land use in the past and which continue to shape the rural economy and environment of the future.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Class Delivery Information 1 three-hour session per week
Course Start Date 15/09/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 15, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 15, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Revision Session Hours 3, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 63 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 50 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Land Use Policy2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
To gain an integrated knowledge of the constraints and stimuli which affect land use in Britain. Legislative, institutional and support influences will be examined in detail in terms of their socio-economic and environmental impacts and students will learn how to deal with complex political and ethical issues in accordance with current professional practices. Students are expected to learn how to critically identify land use barriers and offer professional insights and interpretations to these problems. The presentations and seminars with discussion leaders from commercial, governmental and non-governmental organisations will give students practise in communicating with professional level peers and senior colleagues.
Assessment Information
One in-course assessment in the form of an essay (50%)
One written examination (50%)

The degree examination will be held in December. Students are expected to answer 1 question from a choice of 2. For the intermittent course assessment students are asked select and propose their own topic area for enquiry and if approved to then research and prepare a short report (not exceeding 1750 words) evaluating some aspect of government policy which impacts on land use. The report needs to be both informative with respect to the development of the policy and its aims, as well as analytical in terms of illustrating the effects of the policy or its implementation, and yet again insightful in suggesting improvements or modifications to the operation of the policy.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Past & present agricultural land use policies
Protected Areas, and how they work in practice
Barriers to rural development
Forest land use: policy, drivers & mechanisms
Less Favoured Areas, a special case?
Environmental concerns over land use policy
Crofting and its place in the 21st century
Changing support for agriculture
Regional land use planning
Fitting food into a land use policy
Ghosts past & the shape of things to come
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Individual sessions have associated key references provided in Learn but a starting set of web references is given below:

Forward strategy http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158242/0042839.pdf

Rural policy http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/economy/policy/
SRDP http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP

National Parks http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/default.aspx

EU LFAs http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Research%20briefings%20and%20fact%20sheets/SB10-29.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/lfa/index_en.htm

UK Forestry policy http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcfc001.pdf/$FILE/fcfc001.pdf
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/anw-policy.pdf/$FILE/anw-policy.pdf

RSPB policy http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/policy/

Agri-environment http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/Environment/Agrienvironment

Land use strategy http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/17091927/0
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/12/19161736/0
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsECSC10013 LUP
Contacts
Course organiserDr Ron Wilson
Tel: (0131 6)51 7163
Email: Ron.Wilson@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Meredith Corey
Tel: (0131 6)50 5430
Email: meredith.corey@ed.ac.uk
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