Syllabus

SV0054 Sustainable Management of Boreal Forests, 15.0 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Advanced study in the main field

Grading scale

Language

Prior knowledge

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to evaluate different management approaches and their consequences for the provision of ecosystem services including climate change mitigation, risk prevention, clean water, wood raw material supply, social values, and cultural legacies. Moreover, students should be able to, orally and in writing, discuss and communicate the trade-offs with reference to relevant research and scientific publications. A general objective is to develop student confidence and competence to argue one's opinion and provide well founded recommendations in different management settings.

After completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the management approaches applied for different forest conditions across the boreal zone.
• Evaluate the purpose and functionality of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and describe the process of forest certification standard development.
• Analyze and evaluate the efficacy of silvicultural programs and management strategies regarding wood raw material supply for different value chains.
• Account for and evaluate different planning and management approaches (e.g. adaptive management, zonation, multiple land use, and retention forestry) to promote long-term sustainability at the landscape scale.
• Assess forest management effects on the carbon balance, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
• Account for forest stand structure and composition effects on waterway ecosystem services and prescribe silvicultural measures to preserve water quality and quantity.
• Review and discuss alternative management approaches to preserve biodiversity based on current understanding of natural disturbance dynamics in boreal forests.
• Review management strategies and develop guidelines to handle key damaging biotic and abiotic agents (e.g. wind, frost, snow-brake, wildfire, anthropogenic deposition) in boreal forests.
• Demonstrate ability to place management operations and silvicultural measures in a wider sustainable forest management (SFM) context.

Content

This course emphasizes student-centered learning. Each course element is introduced with short lectures followed by compulsory and/or voluntary individual or group assignments, which are submitted for examination. The course includes guest lectures, seminars, and workshops with professional managers and agency representatives, as well as case studies and group projects inspired by contemporary forestry issues. A study trip to Jämtland focusing on the practical demonstration of different forest management approaches (traditional and alternative) covered in the course is also included. Towards the end of the course, special emphasis is placed on stakeholder interaction and personal communication skills. A student-led conference with student presentations and invited participants concludes the course.

To further student learning and promote discussion, a variety of methods are used:

• Lectures and seminars
• Written and oral assignments,
• Discussions,
• Study trip including several excursions and field exercises,
• Presentations. 

The course focuses on the following generic competencies:

• Critical thinking,
• Problem solving,
• Oral and written communication,
• Teamwork,
• Ability to work autonomously,
• Plan and manage time. 

The following course components are compulsory:

Group and individual presentations/hand-ins of assignments, discussions, online quiz, stakeholder debate, field trip

Collaboration with the surrounding community takes place through lectures and discussions with invited participants from industry and agencies.

Grading form

Formats and requirements for examination

• Approved oral and written presentations.

• Approved submissions.

• Completed mandatory elements.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Responsible department

Department of Forest ecology and Management