Postgraduate Course: Forests and Environment (PGGE11025)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines the nature of forest ecosystems and their interactions with the climate system and society, nutrient cycling, and disturbances (drought, fire, pests). Forest management topics (forestry , biofuels, urban trees and woodlands, sustainable forest policy) are also explored alongside various methodological techniques (remote sensing, gas exchange, modelling) applicable to the study of forests, the environment and their interactions. |
| Course description |
There is no examination for this MSc course. It is thus designed such that although there is core material that you must learn to pass the course (assessed via the three pieces of coursework), you are encouraged and expected to supplement this with by following up own interests and reading round the subject.
Topics covered in this course:
1.Forest ecosystem dynamics
2.Forest biogeochemistry
3.Forests' role in Earth's climate system
4.Forestry and forest management
5.Forests and people
6.Current issues in forest science
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 24,
Fieldwork Hours 8,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
164 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1) A science communication piece on current issue in forest science (30%)
2) A Forest Carbon Project Management Plan (50%)
3) Group seminar (20%)
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| Feedback |
Instantaneous and written feedback is provided on the Group Seminar, which is marked by two members of staff and also there is an opportunity for peer feedback from the rest of the group. The Science Communication Piece is marked by the Course Organiser and moderated by another member of staff, and returned to the students promptly with detailed feedback provided through comments annotated electronically to the submission in Learn. The Forest Management Plan features a feedforward deadline: students can submit a plan or draft of this piece early and receive feedback within a week, assisting them in producing the best possible submission of this final project. The Forest Management Plans are marked by two members of staff and detailed feedback provided electronically through Learn.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- An understanding of forest ecology and process from the leaf to global scale
- An understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between forest ecosystems, climate change and extreme events
- An understanding of interactions between humans and forests: past, present and future
- Familiarity with techniques and approaches used in forest research, management and policy
- Knowledge of how to communicate forest science and policy issues to non-scientific audiences, including project managers and the general public
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Reading List
Core Reading
The basic course content is contained in this text:
Perry, D. A., R. Oren, et al. (2008). Forest Ecosystems, The John Hopkins University Press, 2nd edition
The following texts, available in the library, are also useful. Please note you do not have to read these in their entirety, but many sections within these books complement the course content well:
1) Waring, R. H. and S. W. Running (1985). Forest Ecosystems: Analysis at Multiple Scales, Academic Press. QH541.5.F6 War.
This one is good if you are interested in biogeochemistry, forest ecosystem modelling and forest-atmosphere interactions. Note, however, that this book is somewhat out of date and does not include the latest developments in modelling and remote sensing. There is a new e-edition (2007) available on Kindle for around £35.
2) Sands, R. (2005). Forestry in a Global Context, CABI Publishing. SD131San.
This one focuses more on society-forest interactions, including a history of human forest use, valuation of forests and forest products and sustainable/social forestry.
3) Moran, E.F. and E Ostrom (2005). Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Human-Environment Interactions in Forest Ecosystems. The MIT Press. SD418 See.
An edited text rather than textbook, but contains some interesting articles on everything from theories of multidisciplinary research to remote sensing of land-use change.
Additional reading will be given for each lecture.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Edward Mitchard
Tel: (0131 6)50 7211
Email: edward.mitchard@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Karolina Galera
Tel: (0131 6)50 2572
Email: k.galera@ed.ac.uk |
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