Study unit

Students will familiarize themselves with current issues in forest biodiversity and conservation, and critically examine recent scientific literature on these topics. The course themes will vary between years, and will focus on, e.g., reserve planning, recent modifications of forest management, restoration of forests, maintenance of ecosystem services, forest conservation, and carbon-storing issues. Additionally, the students will evaluate and discuss current conservation issues in different countries. An essay and a seminar series will provide students an in-depth view on differences and similarities between countries in forest environments, management and recent applied research.

The course consists of three elements. (1) The lectures will handle current topics on forest biodiversity and conservation in Finland. (2) Each student will write one-page summaries about seven out of ten lectures. (3) Each student will prepare a presentation about forests, forestry and current issues in forest ecological research in a given country. These results will then be presented and discussed in a seminar series that ends the course.

(Lectures and discussions 20 h; written summaries (seven pages) 35 h; preparation of a seminar talk 18 h; seminar series 8 h.)

Updates 18.8.2020 for teaching of autumn 2020: Lectures mainly in video recordings. Seminars will be replaced by two essays. Essays must be returned in early November 2020 (the teacher will provide more detailed instructions on the timing and topics of the essays). The evaluation of the course pass / fail is based on the essays.

Distance learning in the autumn 2020. 

Literature distributed during the course.

(0-5)

Updates 18.8.2020 for teaching of autumn 2020: The evaluation criteria is pass/fail. The evaluation of the course is based on the essays.

Senior Lecturer in Forest Ecology, additional teachers.

Intended especially for MSc students of the School of Forest Sciences and MSc European Forestry students. Basic courses in forest conservation and ecology (or equivalent biology courses) are required.

Autumn 2020 (2nd period).

Joensuu

The course will be in English.