Undergraduate Catalogue of Courses 2013/2014
FORESTRY
For level 1 and 2 courses, please also refer to entries under Biology
PLEASE NOTE: Resit: (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr A Cameron
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance for Honours in Forestry or Forest Sciences.
Co-requisite(s): None
Forest management plans are a central feature of forest management. They define the objectives of management for a forest or part of a forest, and set out a programme of activities for a fixed period of time, usually five years. Forest management plans comprise long and short term management objectives, description of the forest, overview of past management practices, the planning structure and management prescriptions to be adopted, prescriptions for environment and protection and a financial forecast for the plan period.
After a short introductory classroom session, teaching is entirely field based during two weeks forest field work where the students collect and log their data as groups. Once the field work is completed there is a two hour discussion with instruction on completing the management plan. This is followed by a six week writing up period where the collated data from all groups are available to each student working independently to complete the management plan. Students write up on their own, but are required to meet the course coordinator at least once a week to check on progress.
Total contact hours 90.
1st Attempt: 100% coursework (a management plan).
Resit: Resubmission of coursework (a management plan) 100%.
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
A strong emphasis will be made throughout the course on informal verbal feedback during discussion and tutorial sessions.
There is a two hour long feedback session when the students can see their plans complete with comments by the first marker. These are discussed both within the class setting and at the individual level if requested.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr S Woodward
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance for Honours in Forestry or Forest Sciences.
Co-requisite(s): None
Preparation of a thesis or a dissertation based on guided research work or reading carried out by the student. The subject of the project should be relevant to the students intending specialisation.
Independent work although meetings with supervisors are expected to be held regularly during the project development, implementation and write-up. At the end of the project period students are expected to attend a 3 hr session where all students make an oral presentation of their work.
1st Attempt: Written project 10,000-12,000 words (90%) and oral presentation (10%).
Resit: Resubmission of written project 10,000-12,000 words (100%).
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
Students will get informal feedback from project supervisor during meetings and through feedback on project proposals. In addition, students will get written feedback on a draft of their project prior to submission.
Students receive verbal feedback from their supervisors that summarizes strengths and weaknesses after the projects are marked
Course Co-ordinator: Dr S Woodward
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance on to a School of Biological Sciences Honours programme.
Co-requisite(s): None
- Importance of abiotic factors, pathogens and pests in forests.
- Ecology and epidemiology.
- Management and control.
- Tree defences against pests and pathogens.
Case studies will focus on particular pest and disease problems to give an appreciation of the diversity of abiotic and biotic problems faced by the manager.
Typically 8 hours of lectures per week, total contact hours = 48 hours.
1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (50%) comprised of a 10 page essay and two case studies (one A4 page each). Written exam (50%)
Resit: Written exam and resubmission of any failed continuous assessment.
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
Students receive informal feedback during class discussions and sessions where essays and case studies are planned.
Students receive informal feedback during their oral presentations of their essays and case studies and receive formal, written feedback on all three pieces of continuous assessment.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr S Woodward
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance on to a School of Biological Sciences Honours programme.
Co-requisite(s): None
- Trees and the law.
- Trees in relation to buildings.
- Planting trees on derelict land.
- Urban tree surveys and reporting.
- Trees for amenity and recreation.
- Urban forests.
- Urban ecology.
- Recognition of hazardous trees.
30 hours of lectures, typically as 3 sessions per week over a six week block.
1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (50%) and written exam (50%). Continous assessment is composed of two tree reports (2,500 words total), two valuations (1,500 words total), and a 2,500 word essay.
Resit: Written exam (100%).
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
A strong emphasis will be made throughout the course on informal verbal feedback during seminar and workshop sessions.
Each student will receive individual feedback and a mark for each task. Feedback will be provided as written comments. Groups will also be given generic feedback.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr L Page
Pre-requisite(s): Accepted into an Honours programme within the School of Biological Sciences.
Co-requisite(s): None
Note(s): Alternative activities and/or venues may be made available to meet the requirements of disabled students. Students are required to cover the costs of travel to and from Freiburg, as well as contributing to the cost of subsistence and accommodation.
One week residential field course in continental Europe (usually based on Freiburg) to study local forests, both their ecology and management for environmental protection and conservation, recreation, rural development (including community woodlands) and timber production.
This is a residentital field course that runs from 6-8 days and is typically based in Freiburg, Germany. Each day includes a field visit with discussions. Approximate contact time is 70 hours. It is timetabled during the spring term break but the exact dates vary from year to year.
1st Attempt: Written Report (70%) and Participation (30%). Written report, two parts, equally weighted, a short reflective essay on the week as a whole (approx 500 words, 35%) and a detailed report on one of the site visits (approx 1,000 words, 35%).
Resit: Resubmission of written report (100%).
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
Informal feedback is provided during the field visits and in the formal and informal discussions of the visits.
Students receive written feedback on their individual reports.
Course Co-ordinator: Dr A Cameron
Pre-requisite(s): Acceptance onto an Honours Programme in Forestry or Forest Sciences, or permission by Course Coordinator.
Co-requisite(s): None
The course deals with current issues of relevance in forestry world-wide. A seminar-discussion format will be used in which students prepare material on the chosen topics for presentation and discussion.
The class meets for three 2 hour sessions each week over six weeks; class sessions are used for lectures, discussions and presentations. Total contact time is approximately 36 hours.
1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination. (50%) Continuous assessment: one essay of 1500 words (15%), one presentation (15%) and review article (20%).
Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (100%).
Formative Assessment and Feedback Information
A strong emphasis will be made throughout the course on informal verbal feedback during discussions, presentations and tutorials.
Each student will receive individual feedback and a mark for each task. Feedback will be provided as written comments.