LAA370 Landscape Ecology
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Showing course contents for the educational year 2022 - 2023 .
Course responsible: Wenche Elisabet Dramstad
Teachers: Kerstin Potthoff
ECTS credits: 15
Faculty: Faculty of Landscape and Society
Teaching language: EN
(NO=norsk, EN=Engelsk)
(NO=norsk, EN=Engelsk)
Limits of class size:
Max. 40, min. 10 students.
Teaching exam periods:
This course starts in the Spring parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in the Spring parallel.
Course frequency: The course is given every spring.
First time: Study year 2020-2021
Preferential right:
M-LA fourth year.
Course contents:
Landskapsøkologiens rolle i planlegging og forvaltning læres gjennom forelesninger, diskusjoner og øvelser. Tema er landskapsstrukturers effekt på populasjoner og samfunn, barrierer, korridorer, faunapassasjer og teorien om metapopulasjoner. Tidlig i prosessen begynner studentene å jobbe med miniprosjekter som eksemplifiserer landskapsøkologiske konsepter ved bruk av konkrete eksempler relatert til bakgrunnsteori og kurslitteraturen.
Landscape architects and planners have a lot of influence on the spatial patterns in the landscape. These patterns are of relevance for among others, distribution and occurrence of many species (including alien species), people's perception and experience and use of the landscape, and landscape management. Knowledge about the importance of landscape content and composition is thus very important. This constitutes the core of landscape ecology.
This course introduces students to landscape-ecological concepts through work with aerial photos and map data of real landscapes. Students will learn about measuring and quantifying landscapes, how to define patches and quantify their characteristics such as size, shape, edge characteristics, pattern and connectedness. Students will learn about the ecological effects of different landscape processes including fragmentation, changes in connectivity, heterogeneity and grain size. Students will be introduced to different tools and data sources such as GIS, EndNote, Naturbase, Artskart, Kilden and scientific literature.
The role of landscape ecology in planning and management will be taught through lectures, discussions and exercises about the effects of landscape structure on populations and communities, barriers, corridors, fauna passages and the theory of metapopulations. Early in the course, the students will start working on assignments that exemplify landscape-ecological concepts using specific examples related to the background theories and course literature.
Learning outcome:
3.
Learning activities:
Students work individually and in groups on assignments of differing complexity and extent throughout the course. In addition, there are weekly lectures and two full-day excursions. Students are expected to read scientific literature, and to present and discuss findings from the assignments.
Teaching support:
Feedback on mini projects. Supervision possible outside lecturing hours, but on appointment.
Syllabus:
The curriculum will be announced at the beginning of the course.
Prerequisites:
Relevant bachelor
Recommended prerequisites:
Mandatory activity:
80 % attendance/participation
Mini projects must have been completed
Participation in both excursions
Assessment:
Portfolio
- Term paper
- Oral exam in English
When deciding the grade, most emphasis will be placed on the term paper. The oral exam will mainly be used to adjust the grade.
Nominal workload:
375 hours
Entrance requirements:
Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway (generell studiekompetanse).
Type of course:
ca. 70 hours lectures, excursions, exercises
Note:
-
Examiner:
An external examiner will read and assess the term papers and participate in the oral exam.
Examination details: Portfolio: Letter grades