Syllabus

PNS0200 Ecology of Agriculture, 5.0 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Grading scale

Language

Prior knowledge

Objectives

The course is intended for students in ecology, agronomy, biology, environmental sciences, interested in exploring ecological processes in agricultural production systems and how they relate to agronomic practices. Followed by a brief introduction into relevant ecology concepts, there will be a focus on ecosystem processes which influence crop production level and stability (e.g., nutrient cycling, pollination, herbivory, predation), and the biodiversity that drives these processes above and below ground, such as soil biota, pests and their natural enemies above and below ground, and pollinators, and how these shape crop yield. The course will challenge participants to consider how these organisms are affected by crop management, and how the ecosystem functions they generate vary across space and time from within cropped fields to farm to landscape and regions and among days to multiple years. Where appropriate we will introduce aspects of global climate and other changes, which set the context for much of what we do and what we face. We will further discuss how ecological principles can be employed in the development of crop production systems to improve efficiency and sustainability of agriculture. We will integrate conceptual aspects drawing on ecological theory, practical methods, and analytical approaches. For each function and scale we will discuss and develop an understanding of the implications for organismal ecology and ecological functioning, including for applications to ecosystem services.

Content

Learning outcomes

(i) summarize, present and lead discussion on a topic area of agricultural ecology including soliciting questions and facilitating rigorous discussion from peer participants

(ii) produce a written summary of a topical area within a course-defined discipline of agricultural ecology

(iii) gain a working understanding of basic and certain advanced concepts in agricultural ecology

(vi) build familiarity with interpretation and analysis of population, community, and certain spatial data using current statistical software

(vii) gain introductory knowledge of methods for qualitative and quantitative exploration of ecosystem functioning in agricultural ecosystems

Pedagogical format

The course is composed of two parts. In a first preparatory part, the students are divided into groups. Each group is assigned a topic area within agricultural ecology. They read assigned literature, collect additional literature and compile a topic summary in preparation of the second part. The first part is done via distance.

In the second part of the course, students and teachers gather physically for a one-week full time teachings where the teacher-led lectures are combined with student presentations of groups topics and hands-on exercises, analyses and an excursion to farmland. In the second week the topics are further developed in a workshop format and results are summarized as written final reports. The general structure of the second week is: two morning sessions of instructor and student-group lectures. The afternoons are devoted to excursion, exercises of analytical methods and report writing.

Additional information

Responsible department

Department of Ecology