SKS300 Forest Ecology
Norsk emneinformasjon
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Showing course contents for the educational year 2017 - 2018 .
Course responsible: Jon-Anders Frank
ECTS credits: 10
Faculty: Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management
Teaching language: EN, NO
(NO=norsk, EN=Engelsk)
(NO=norsk, EN=Engelsk)
Limits of class size:
-
Teaching exam periods:
This course starts in Spring parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Spring parallel
Course frequency: Annually
First time: Study year 2004-2005
Preferential right:
-
Course contents:
The effects of climate and soil on forest vegetation colonisation and growth, forest dynamics, ecological succession and nutrient cycling in forests. Forest landscape ecology, biological diversity, species dispersal, allelopathy, Red List species in forests and standard for a sustainable Norwegian forestry. The ecological effects of forest fire, alien species, bioenergy measures, selection of different tree species and climatic change. Ecological basis of forest environmental registration, conservation of natural forest environments and species, restoration of habitats and consequences of different disturbances on forest environment.
Learning outcome:
Qualified candidates should have acquired the following learning goals:
The students should acquire a better understanding of the forest nature as an ecosystem and be able to analyse and assess the ecological consequences of various natural processes and human influences on forest ecosystems in a short and long term perspective.
The students should be able to find, analyse, and synthesize knowledge of different forest ecological themes, as well as being able to write technical and scientific reports. They should also be able to work well in interdisciplinary teams. Through the student presentations and discussions, students are trained in the communication of professional issues and analysis for a wider audience.
Be able to work with interdisciplinary issues in an independent way, or as a member of an interdisciplinary team. After having completed the course, the students are likely to have good enough knowledge and skills in forest ecology to later be able to manage different forest ecosystems in a sustainable way.
Learning activities:
Lectures on important and current topics to make the students able to understand how the forest ecosystem functions. Some topics contain literature for self-study or presentations and discussions of results of a group-based PBL exercise with a teacher present. The group-based semester assignments are supposed to give a deeper understanding within a self-elected forest-ecological topic and are supposed to contain a synthesis and an evaluation of recent knowledge in this field of study. The students will get experience in knowledge assessment by presenting their semester assignments to an audience of colleagues. The work related to the semester assignment is supposed to give the students experience in cooperation within a group and by collecting relevant information through the Internet. An excursion will give knowledge about a current forest-ecological topic.
Teaching support:
Advance information is publicly available at Canvas. The course has web pages in Canvas, where also the assignments are announced. The lecturers are available for questions during office hours.
Syllabus:
Announced in Canvas.
Prerequisites:
ECOL100.
Recommended prerequisites:
BOT100, BOT130, JORD101, SKOG220.
Mandatory activity:
Teamwork, passed PBL-training and excursion.
Assessment:
Continuous assessment: The written mid-term examination (1 hour) counts 20%. The semester assignment counts 30%. The written examination (2 hours) counts 50%. It is not necessary that the student passes every evaluated element in the course to pass the entire course. A passing grade is based on the overall quality of the entire evaluated material.
Nominal workload:
Approx. 300 hours.
Entrance requirements:
Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway (generell studiekompetanse)
Reduction of credits:
-
Type of course:
Lectures and discussion 2 hours per week. Midterm exam, PBL exercise, structured supervision, student presentations with discussion 3 hours per week. Excursion 1 day. Total approx. 75 hours.
Note:
Students who do not participate in the teamwork will be deleted from the course.
Examiner:
An external examiner verifies a selection of the mid-term tests and the students' semester assignments. The external examiner approves and takes part in the grading of the written exam.
Allowed examination aids: A1 No calculator, no other aids
Examination details: Continuous exam: A - E / Ikke bestått