About this course

Knowledge about forest growth and yield is an essential prerequisite to understand the reaction of trees and forest stands to treatment in order to plan silviculture. This knowledge concerns both ecological process and statistical descriptions of the development of trees and forest stands. In this course we will discuss research-based knowledge about recent challenges for silviculture in Norway: use and conversion to continuous cover forestry, climate adaptation, and site-adapted silviculture. Within these topics we will address methods like site mapping, natural regeneration, pre-commercial thinning methods, thinning methods, conversion methods, selection system, mixed forest management, and management of broadleaved species.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

Students will learn about recent silvicultural methods and their effects on trees and the forest ecosystem. Students will learn some basics in forest growth and yield, which determine the effects of silvicultural on stand development.

Competence:

Students will be able to choose between silvicultural options depending on management objectives, conditions for growth, and stand development. Students will be able to evaluate effects of the chosen silviculture on growth and stand development. Students will be able to understand and apply relevant research literature in the field, also in the future.

Attitudes:

Students should be able to see the advantage of knowledge-based forest management as opposed to traditions and hierarchical orders.

General competence:

Students will be able to find, read, and communicate the content of relevant research literature within the field.

  • Learning activities

    The core of the course is a literature study of research papers supported by seminars. The content of the research papers will be presented by students or teachers as a basis for the discussion during the seminar. Excursions will focus on research and the practice of silviculture. The semester assignment will train the process of finding relevant research results about a chosen topic and to present research results. Students summarize the most important content of the course literature and the seminars in a note book.

  • Teaching support

    Seminars and coments on assignments. The lecturers are available for questions during office hours.

  • Syllabus

    19 research papers, mostly from Norway, Sweden and Finland; all in English.

  • Prerequisites

    SKOG220, SKOG200

  • Assessment method

    Combined assessment:

    • Portfolio consisting of written summaries of the first 4 course papers (3 best out of 4) counts 10%.
    • Portfolio consisting of note book (8 summaries of course papers, 7 discussions related to course papers, 2 summaries of student-specific papers) counts 70%.
    • Oral midterm exam on forest growth and yield counts 20%.

    For elements composed of more than one mark, the average mark must be passed.

    Students who have previously passed one or more components of the combined assessment in the course are not required to retake these when repeating the course.



    Portfolio/notebook Karakterregel: Letter grades Oral mid term test Karakterregel: Letter grades Written summaries Karakterregel: Letter grades

  • About use of AI

    Portfolio consisting of written summaries: K2 - Specified Use of AI.

    See specification under note book.

    The use of AI is permitted, but it must comply with the Guidelines for Use of Artificial Intelligens (AI) at NMBU.

    Portfolio consisting of note book: K2 - Specified Use of AI.

    AI shall not be used to generate summaries or discussion assignments. These text shalls be written by the student after having read the research papers. Communication of the content of research papers is an essential part of the learning process and cannot be substituted by generating text using AI.

    It is specified in NMBU's regulations that exams and assignments shall be a student's own work.

    Students must supply a detailed description of their use of AI (for example for language editing) in a separate section at the beginning of the note book. These descriptions shall in detail describe which AI programs have been used for which parts of the learning og writing process and in which way.

    The use of AI is permitted, but it must comply with the Guidelines for Use of Artificial Intelligens (AI) at NMBU.

    Oral midterm exam: K1 - No use of AI

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Examiner scheme

    The external examinertakes part in the grading of the oral exam and the note book.

  • Mandatory activity

    Excursions. Exercise on plagiarism signed.

  • Notes

    If there are few students, the course may either be postponed for a year or offered with an alternative teaching arrangement.

  • Teaching hours

    Seminars, 4 days excursion.

  • Reduction of credits

    10 credits for SKS303.