MX0152, Environmental assessment, 15.0 Hp
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Syllabus

Level

Second cycle (A1N)

Main field of study

Environmental Science

Subject

Environmental Science

Grading Scale

5 / 4 / 3 / U

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Course language

English

Entry Requirements

Objectives

The course aims at providing knowledge to analyse and assess environmental data to assess environmental status in relation to national and international environmental norms. Focus is on limnic biology and chemistry, terrestrial biology and soil chemistry. The course includes planning of environmental studies, data collection methods, data analysis, evaluation of results, assessment of ecological status, design of indicators and communication of results. An overall goal is that students who have passed the course should be able to use raw data from their own or previously performed environmental monitoring and through statistical analyses and scientific theory to make an ecological status assessment and relate results to relevant norms. Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:

• plan basic environmental monitoring programs and field experiments,
• apply theoretical and practical knowledge of sampling in both aquatic and terrestrial environments,
• analyse and evaluate data from experiments and environmental monitoring, to analyse, describe and assess both geochemical and biological environmental status,
• apply the critical load concept and the EU Water Directive to assess ecological status,
• describe the pathways, conversions and effects on the environment of various organic pollutants and metals,
• describe how indicators are developed and used in environmental assessment,
• account for heterogeneity in soil, and be familiar with applying geostatistics to evaluate data from soil sampling

Content

During the course, environmental assessment is applied in various environments and environmental problems: - the forest landscape, - lakes and streams, - acidification, - eutrophication and - organic pollutants. The course also includes a tool part for theoretical and practical analysis techniques. During calculations, basic parts of environmental assessment will be practiced: - dimensioning of studies, - time series analysis, - geostatistics and - biodiversity calculations. Data collection and sampling techniques will be practiced in compulsory field exercises. Data from field exercises will be processed in a project work.

Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course

- Passed results on the exam and all assignments, as well as approved oral and written presentation of the project work. - Active participation in compulsory exercises.

•  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.

Responsible Department/Equivalent

Department of Aquatic Science and Assessment

Cooperating departments

Department of Soil and Environment

Supplementary information

Included in program

• EnvEuro - European Master in Environmental Science
• Soil, Water and Environment - Master's Programme

Module set

Title	Credits	Code
Exam	9.0	0102
Computer exercises	3.0	0103
Field exercises	1.5	0104
Project	1.5	0105

The Course Replaces

MX0096, MX0087, MX0134

Other Information

Field exercises will be one day excursions at bicycle distance from Uppsala. Participants are recommended to have knowledge equivalent to at least 7.5 credits of general or inorganic chemistry, and have knowledge of chemical equilibrium and especially acid-base equilibria. It is an advantage if course participants have studied basic statistics, but not a requirement.

• 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.