Rhedir gan School of Natural Sciences

20.000 Credyd neu 10.000 Credyd ECTS

Semester 1

Trefnydd: Prof John Healey

Students will be introduced to the ecology and policy of world forest resources. They will gain an understanding of the ecological information needed to implement forest policy, and for forest management and conservation: what is known already, what assessment and research methods are used, and how the results can be applied. Applications relate, in particular, to ecosystem services, sustainable forest management, criteria and indicators, and adaptive management. A key feature of the learning outcomes are practical skills in planning, carrying out, and analysing and interpreting the data from three forest assessments: (i) (tree) biodiversity; (ii) tree community and species population composition, structure and dynamics; (iii) natural regeneration and secondary succession. There is a strong emphasis on “learning by doing”.

The core component of the syllabus focuses on: forest ecology, forest biodiversity and its assessment (ranging from practical tree species identification to analysis and interpretation of inventory data); quantitative forest ecological survey and inventory (covering its purposes, sampling issues, and selection of field measures); forest regeneration and resilience; monitoring changes in forest structure and composition, prediction and modelling. Consideration is given to the identification of factors controlling forest condition and dynamics and the respective roles of structured comparisons and experiments.

To address this the module will cover general principles relevant across a wide range of biomes. For the first half of the syllabus and the three practicals run by JRH (forest ecology) the focus will be primarily on natural forests with high biodiversity, which are dominated by natural dynamic processes. It starts with a brief overview of ecological theory and knowledge applied to forests is then provided, with emphasis on landscape ecology, forest dynamics, ecological diversity of tree species, the ecological basis of silviculture, and the maintenance of biodiversity. This is followed by an overview of Welsh woodlands and their ecology as the context for the setting of the field practicals. Then the focus is on the methods used to assess plant biodiversity, stand structure and dynamics, and analyse and interpret the resulting data. It is designed as a specialist module for which students will require knowledge of plant population and community ecology (from previous study or preparatory reading). Because of the limit of available time the module gives minimal coverage of ecological theory, natural history, animals or UK-specific methodologies. The module is dominated by practical sessions and there is a strong emphasis on “learning by doing”.

The second half of the syllabus starts with an overview of world-forest resources (including the challenges of their definition and classification). It will assess the scale, rates, distribution and causes of deforestation and forest degradation. Then their implication of global and local ecosystem services will be considered. There will be a brief overview of forest policy issues, instruments and initiatives, leading to forest management and conservation. Synthesis of the different components of the module is provided by an assessment of the evidence needs to implement forest policy and for forest management and conservation and how it can be met through forest ecology assessment. Particular attention is paid to participatory approaches, payment for ecosystem services schemes, sustainable and adaptive forest management.

trothwy

Aware of the key principles underlying the science. Pass level in scientific practical report with calculations, presentation, professional report and exam answers. Basic competence demonstrated in summarising, presenting and discussing the results. Able to work as a member of a team in carrying out simple assessment of plant biodiversity and forest ecology and carrying out simple numerical analysis of the results, research, preparation and presentation. Able to complete basic reports on these activities in the time allocated.

da

Better understanding of the principles. Reports and presentation show good structure, and summary, presentation and discussion of results. Good understanding demonstrated of issues surrounding sources of error, the implication of the work for the future design of biodiversity and ecological assessments, and possible implications of the results for the conservation management of the studied forest. Insight demonstrated into the key evidence requirements for successful implementation of forest policy, management or conservation. Play a major role in the group enabling it to complete a wide range of data analyses and interpretation and finish competent reports and presentation in the time allocated.

ardderchog

Very good understanding of the science. High level of competence demonstrated in devising and completing reports and presentation, showing a high degree of selectivity in which results are presented and the form of presentation, and in answering exam questions. Demonstration of excellent knowledge of sampling issues including the identification of key points for improved field-assessment design, application of appropriate statistical analyses, insightful conclusions about conservation management of the studied forest. Evidence provided of original thinking about the key challenges of identifying and meeting evidence needs for implementation of forest policy, management or conservation. Play a leading role in the group enabling it to complete a wide range of data analyses and interpretation and finish competent reports and presentation in the time allocated. Evidence of considerable effort and thought.

1. 1. Demonstrate understanding of the ecological information needed to implement forest policy and for forest management and conservation
2. 1. Analyse and interpret existing information
3. 1. Plan and carry out plant biodiversity and ecological assessments
4. 1. Analyse, present and interpret the results
5. 1. Demonstrate understanding of the principles and use of modelling, monitoring and experimentation
6. 1. Make recommendations about the application of results for future forest assessment and management

Math	Enw	Disgrifiad	Pwysau
	Presentation on Group Research		15.00
	Professional Report		15.00
	Scientific report on group practical work with calculations		50.00
	Module Test		20.00

		Oriau
Lecture	There are 23 hours of lecture/seminar sessions. The syllabus of the module has been divided into approximately eight equal-sized sections. For the first six, the content of each will be introduced in a lecture in the second hour of each 2-hour session. The seventh section is the basis for the assessed presentations. The eighth section of the syllabus (Non-timber forest product resource assessment) will be taught by JLGW in a single two-hour session.	17
Fieldwork	Travel to and from field-work during which there will be presentation and discussion of landscape-scale management and conservation issues	5
Practical classes and workshops	Three half-day laboratory or on-line practicals working in groups with the specimens and data collected from the field. Through these you will gain a detailed appreciation of how data analysis and utilization should influence the selection of field inventory methods.	12
Fieldwork	Three all-day field practicals in Coed Dolgarrog National Nature Reserve, Conwy Valley: an excellent example of a biodiverse, complex forest ecosystem now dominated by natural dynamic processes. Working in groups you will gain detailed hands-on practical experience of the ecological methods outlined above. 1st practical will focus on methods of rapid (plant) biodiversity assessment in forests or woodlands. It will focus on appropriate sampling methods (including derivation of a species-area curve); objective and subjective sample location; plot and plotless methods; determination of forest structure through “transect” based approaches. A particular emphasis will be on methods of dealing with plants that cannot be identified to species in the forest. Specimens will be collected and, the following morning, in the lab, any unknown specimens will be identified, key character traits described, and an identification key constructed and tested for all the taxa encountered. From this practical you will gain an increased understanding of spatial variation in forest species composition. 2nd practical will focus on methods of quantitative ecological inventory of plant community and species population composition, structure and dynamics in forests and woodlands. It will also have a focus on appropriate sampling methods (including systematic and random plot-based approaches); sub-plots for smaller size classes; assessment of forest soils. The following morning, in the lab, the data will be analysed to assess species abundance (in terms of the density and dominance (basal area) of each species); community dominance-diversity relationships; forest stand and individual species population size-class distributions; variation in forest structure. 3rd practical will focus on natural regeneration processes in the understorey and in canopy gaps; secondary succession and tree form. The following morning, in the lab, the data will be analysed to yield information on species relative abundance in closed-canopy, gap and old-field habitats; and enable analysis of tree replacement probabilities; modelling of forest dynamics.	18
Study group	Preparation for two seminar presentations (max of ten hours for each, which might be composed of one hour for group planning, five hours to read papers, one hour for group discussion and three hours to prepare the presentation)	20
Private study	Revision of syllabus in preparation for exam	24
Seminar	The seventh section of the syllabus (Policy issues, instruments and initiatives) will form the basis for the marked seminar presentation	4
Group Project	Preparation for assessed seminar and professional report	24
Individual Project	Writing up the assessed individual professional report	10
Seminar	The class will divide into six 2- or 3-person groups, two of which will select one question from the list provided in each of the first six sections. Before the next class session they will research that topic making use of the Powerpoint presentations and background notes provided on the module blackboard site and the key research papers listed in the reference list for the section. All class members are also expected to make a quick overview of all four questions in each section in order to facilitate discussion during the four minutes after each presentation. In a seminar in the first hour of the next 2-hour session, each group will have eight minutes to present their answer to the question: because of limitation of time it will be essential to focus selectively on the key points that they identified as most important rather than attempting a comprehensive answer. In providing a critical assessment of the issue it will be good to focus on cross-cutting issues, agreements or contradictions amongst the research papers. You can also raise any issues from the reading which they would like to be clarified, and to discuss these with the rest of the class.	6
Group Project	Writing up the assessed individual professional report	60

• Llythrennedd - Medrusrwydd mewn darllen ac ysgrifennu drwy amrywiaeth o gyfryngau
• Rhifedd - Medrusrwydd wrth ddefnyddio rhifau ar lefelau priodol o gywirdeb
• Defnyddio cyfrifiaduron - Medrusrwydd wrth ddefnyddio ystod o feddalwedd cyfrifiadurol
• Hunanreolaeth - Gallu gweithio mewn ffordd effeithlon, prydlon a threfnus. Gallu edrych ar ganlyniadau tasgau a digwyddiadau, a barnu lefelau o ansawdd a phwysigrwydd
• Archwilio - Gallu ymchwilio ac ystyried dewisiadau eraill
• Adalw gwybodaeth - Gallu mynd at wahanol ac amrywiol ffynonellau gwybodaeth
• Sgiliau Rhyngbersonol - Gallu gofyn cwestiynau, gwrando'n astud ar atebion a'u harchwilio
• Dadansoddi Beirniadol & Datrys Problem - Gallu dadelfennu a dadansoddi problemau neu sefyllfaoedd cymhleth. Gallu canfod atebion i broblemau drwy ddadansoddiadau ac archwilio posibiliadau
• Ymwybyddiaeth o ddiogelwch - Bod yn ymwybodol o'ch amgylchedd a hyder o ran cadw at reoliadau iechyd a diogelwch
• Cyflwyniad - Gallu cyflwyno gwybodaeth ac esboniadau yn glir i gynulleidfa. Trwy gyfryngau ysgrifenedig neu ar lafar yn glir a hyderus.
• Gwaith Tîm - Gallu cydweithio'n adeiladol ag eraill ar dasg gyffredin, ac/neu fod yn rhan o dîm gweithio o ddydd i ddydd
• Mentora - Gallu cefnogi, helpu, arwain, ysbrydoli ac/neu hyfforddi eraill
• Gofalu - Dangos consyrn am eraill; gofalu am blant, pobl ag anableddau ac/neu'r henoed
• Rheloaeth - Gallu defnyddio, cydlynu a rheoli adnoddau (dynol, ffisegol ac/neu ariannol)
• Dadl - Gallu cyflwyno, trafod a chyfiawnhau barn neu lwybr gweithredu, naill ai gydag unigolyn neu mewn grwˆp ehangach
• Hunanymwybyddiaeth & Ystyried - Bod yn ymwybodol o'ch cryfderau, gwendidau, nodau ac amcanion eich hun. Gallu adolygu ,cloriannu a myfyrio'n rheolaidd ar eich perfformiad eich hun ac eraill.
• Arweinyddiaeth - Gallu arwain a rheoli, datblygu cynlluniau gweithredu ac amcanion, cynnig arweiniad a chyfarwyddyd i eraill, ac ymdopi â'r pwysau sy'n gysylltiedig ag awdurdod o'r fath

• Recognize the moral, ethical and social issues relating to the subject.
• Develop and identify research question(s) and/or hypotheses as the basis for investigation.
• Conduct fieldwork and/or laboratory work competently with awareness of appropriate risk assessment and ethical considerations
• Consider issues from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Collect, analyse and interpret primary and/or secondary data using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative techniques.
• Apply appropriate techniques for presenting spatial and/or temporal trends in data.
• Prepare effective maps, diagrams and visualizations.
• Undertake field and/or laboratory studies to ensure competence in basic experimental and/or fieldwork skills.
• Demonstrate awareness of the importance of risk assessment and relevant legislation
• Engagement with current subject developments and their application.
• Engage in debate and/or discussion with specialists and non-specialists using appropriate language.
• Demonstrate the independence and skills required for continuing professional development

Goblygiadau o ran adnoddau ar gyfer myfyrwyr

Clothing, footwear, food, drink etc. for all-day fieldwork in upland steep terrain.

Rhestrau Darllen Bangor (Talis)

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/dxx-4517.html

Rhestr ddarllen

Extensive reading lists are provided for each section of the syllabus on the module Blackboad site.

Gorfodol mewn cyrsiau:

• D3AB: MSc Environmental Forestry year 1 (MSC/EFOR)
• D3AX: MSc Environmental Forestry (TRANSFOR-M exchange programme) year 1 (MSC/EFORTFM)
• D5AB: MSc Sustainable Forest and Nature Management year 1 (MSC/SFNM)

Opsiynol mewn cyrsiau:

• D512: MFor Forestry year 4 (MFOR/FOR)
• D514: MFor Forestry with International Experience year 5 (MFOR/FORIE)
• D513: MFor Forestry (with placement year) year 5 (MFOR/FORP)