Undergraduate Course: Science for Agri-food Systems: Interactions within Systems (VETS08008)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course deals with the interactions that occur between organisms within Agri-food systems. It builds on the concepts introduced in semester 1 at the cell and organism level and scales them up to the field, farm and landscape level. |
| Course description |
The aim of the course is to extend the scientific understanding developed in Science for Agri-Food Systems: Cells to Organisms by considering how organisms within an agri-food system interact with each other and their environment. It will be taught in the context of the global challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. The course will emphasise the importance of managing the interactions and linkages between different components within a system, including aquaculture, for successful and sustainable function. The main themes covered will include:
Soil and ecosystem processes
Beneficial and detrimental interactions between organisms (microbial, plant and animal), health, and production
Animal behaviour and social interactions
Human influence through domestication, breeding and management
Production systems and environmental impacts
The course will be delivered by a series of lectures, tutorials, laboratory classes and practicals. Farm visits will be utilised to demonstrate different production systems, and examples will be used in to illustrate key concepts in a global context.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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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 2018/19, 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 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 25,
Fieldwork Hours 5,
Summative Assessment Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
131 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Feedback |
Feedback will be supplied within 15 days of the submission deadline. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain the interactions between soil, plants and animals, and their influence on system function.
- Distinguish between beneficial and detrimental biotic interactions and their effects on microbial, animal and plant health.
- Describe behavioural interactions within and between species.
- Appraise the critical inputs and outputs for agricultural systems.
- Identify the environmental impacts arising from agricultural systems.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Geoff Simm
Tel: (0131 6)51 7437
Email: Geoff.Simm@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Gordon Littlejohn
Tel: (0131 6)51 7454
Email: Gordon.Littlejohn@ed.ac.uk |
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