240026 Landscape Ecology

Details
Forest & Landscape
Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year to MSc. 2 year
DurationOne block
 
Credits7.5 (ECTS)
Course LevelMSc
 
ExaminationContinuous Assessment

written examination

Portfolio Examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: The examination is based on weekly deliverables. Max. 75 % of the excersizes can be subject for examination

Weight: 100%



13-point scale, internal examiner
 
Requirement For Attending ExamA min. of 75 % of the excersizes have to be completed/submitted
 
Organisation of Teaching50 % lectures 40 % excercises 10 % field work
 
Block PlacementBlock 1
Week Structure: B
 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Areas of Competence the Course Will Address
Basic sciences
Comprehend the landscape as a composition of landscape attributes. Understand landscape patterns - i.e origin of landscapes, impact of man on the development of landscapes, impact of natural conditions on the landscape.

Applied sciences
Ability to synthesise attributes into unique ecotopes, aggregate ecotopes into chores, and segregate landscapes into chores and ecotopes.

Transfer the models Island - bio - geography and input-output to concrete landscapes.

Comprehend landscape change, detect and describe changes in landscape patterns. Relate landscape changes to specific attributes.

Ethics and values
Comprehend the concepts of landscape function and multifunctionality; land use related functions, landscape services and transcending functions.

Comprehend the linking of structures with fluxes of matter, energy and genetic information.

 
Course Objectives
The aim of the course is to give the participants a comprehensive overview of the main stream European and American schools of Landscape Ecology. The participants are introduced to general theories, and trained in the most common pratical methods in landscape ecology.
 
Course Contents
Landscape attributes; geology, terrain, hydrology, land cover and the technosphere

Landscape patterns and structures; Types of configuration of ecostopes and elements on the earth surface. Aggregation of ecotopes in chores.

Landscape function; Fluxes of energy, matter and genes. Isolation and contact, the concept of systems.

Multifunctional landscapes; Ecological function, land use related functions and services, transcending functions - designated and perceived landscapes.

Structure-function interrelationships; interrelationships between structure and function, species movement in landscapes, island biogeography, landscape model: patch-corridor-matrix

Landscape dynamics and change; Causes behind changes, stability, resistance and resilience.

Landscape classification; deductive and inductive mapping, land evaluation, guiding principles and
properties, indicators

Landscape scenarios; Backcasting and forecasting scenarios.
 
Teaching And Learning Methods
The course is given as a combination of introducing lectures, excercises, field work, and in-depth lectures. Reports from the excercises are included in a final report from the course. The excercises are performed in small groups under supervision form th ecourse responsible.
 
Course Coordinator
Henrik Vejre, hv@life.ku.dk, Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning/Urban and landscape studies, Phone: 35331819
 
Study Board
Study Committee NSN
 
Course Scope
lectures42
theoretical exercises32
preparation107
practicals10
Excursions15

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