| Responsible Department | Forest & Landscape | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sub Courses | LNAK1009 Biodiversity in Urban Nature | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | MSc. 1 year to Post experience Master´s Programme | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | MSc | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination oral examination Practical Examination Portfolio Examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: The individual oral exam lasts about 25 min. It consists of a short presentation of the group ressay followed by questions on the essay. In addition the student will draw a question in relation to lectures and exercises Weight: Group essay: 34%. Individual oral presentation of essay: 33%. Oral eksamination on drawn, general question: 33% 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | The student should have attended the course and the group essay must be submitted in due time before the final examination | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, small group discussions, qolloquia on selected papers, excursions, exercises and assignments, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 1 Week Structure: A | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| WHY BUN: Increasing biodiversity and supporting wild life of all sorts in urban surroundings. WHAT is BUN: Biodiversity at different levels from genome to ecosystem level. HOW to increase BUN: Presentation of scientific knowledge on how effects of deliberate manipulation of surroundings can increase diversity of flora and fauna in urban environment Some keywords from the course: . Historical perspective: Urban development and development in biodiversity - the world goes urban . Enhancing urban diversity close to everyday life . Urban wastelands - a chance for biodiversity . Invasive species - their bridge head is often the urban environment. The role of non-native plants in urban environment . Green roofs for ground nesting birds and wild plants? . Seeding wild plants? Enrichment or falsification of nature? . Walls as habitat for specialists among plants and nesting birds . Challenges from climate change for diversity in urban environment . Biodiversity of private and domestic gardens . "Corridors" - only for dormice and water voles? . Benefit and costs of urban forest . Practical methods for enhancing diversity of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals . Citizen involvement, school children, social acceptance in relation to biodiversity | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course will comprise lectures, excursions, practical exercises and seminars/qolloquia on essential papers. Group work will focus on a specific selected topic and writing a essay about a specific case or theme is included in the course. Several invited guest lectureres will give first hand presentations from their field of work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| When the course have been completed, the participants are expected to have achieved the following skills: Knowledge: - Identification of elements and conditions that promote and increase diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and other arthropods, plants including trees and fungi in the urban environment - Expected consequences on diversity of practical actions taken - Interactions between plants, herbivores and organisms on other tropic levels - Methods on quantification of biological diversity Skills: - Abel to suggest which actions that in a given situation will result in increased, reduced or orientated development in the biological diversity. - Abel to explain relationships and interactions among organisms in a given location and situation and the reasons for absence or presence - Ability to analyse and evaluate the potential for development in biological diversity among the organisms in a given locality - Measures to put up a goal for development of diversity in a given area and for evaluation and documentation of fulfilment of the ambition. Competences: - Transform theoretical knowledge to practical action in a situation given limited frames - Judge biological elements, potential, and possible developmental issues of nature areas in urban environment - Discuss biological aspects in connection to management and mediating biological issues of nature in urban environment - authenticity, aesthetical values, aspects of recreation and first-hand nature experiences | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| A compendium and selected book chapters and papers will constitute the text book. Parts of Laurie ed. (1979) Nature in Cities. Müller, Werner and Kelcey eds (2010) Urban Biodiversity and Design. Adams and Lindsey (2010) Urban wildlife management. Douglas, Goode, Houck and Wang eds (2011) The Routledge Handbook of urban ecology | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hans Peter Ravn, hpr@life.ku.dk, Forest & Landscape Denmark, Phone: 353-31663 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Work Load | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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