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SKOG302 Multifunctional Use and Planning of Forest Resources

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Erik Trømborg

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:Ca. 250 hours. Divided on lectures, excursions, presentations, assigments, preparations and self-study.

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in Autumn parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Autumn parallel.

About this course

Forests provide a wide variety of economic, ecological, and societal benefits, while the prioritization of one aspect can hinder the production of other benefits. This course will explore this conflict through in depth understanding of:

  • Ecosystem services from the forest. Historic development and legislative basis for forest management for different interests - industrial products, recreation and outdoor activities, biodiversity, climate, cultural heritage and wildlife management.
  • Systems for collection, assessment and management of environmental values in forests.
  • Conflict and conflict management: Sources of conflict, exploration of how selected stakeholder groups attempt to manage and prioritize their interests.
  • Multicriteria decision analysis methods and approaches, used to elicit quantitative and qualitative preferential information.
  • Approaches to integrate preferential information to find potential forest planning solutions to single and group decision making problems
  • Techniques to design relevant alternative forest plans to mitigate potential conflicts.

Learning outcome

The students should have the following learning outcome from the course:

Knowledge

  • Knowledge of the term ecosystem services in general and for forests in Norway. Detailed knowledge of public regulations of timber production in Norway due to the environment and people's welfare. Knowledge of sociological and economic theory concerning multiple use of forests. Knowledge of systems for forestry certification in Norway. Knowledge of narratives and discourses on Norwegian forestry.
  • Practical understanding in the acquisition of preference information and quantitative and qualitative approaches to use this information in forest planning systems.

Skills

The student will be able to elicit quantitative and qualitative preference information from forest stakeholders integrate this information to a forest planning system and be able to present a range of planning alternatives that strive to balance the conflicts between stakeholders.

General competence

Master oral and written presentation. Know conflict mechanisms and methods for conflict resolution.

  • Lectures, excursion, term paper, exercises and self-studies.
  • Canvas - students that have entered the course have web support in Canvas. The lecturer in charge of the course is available (by appointment) for questions during office hours.
  • Bachelor in forest sciences, ecology or similar.
  • SKOG250, NATF200

  • Combined assessment:

    • Portfolio consisting of 2-3 exercises and a term paper counts 40%
    • Oral exam counts 60%


    Oral exam Grading: Letter grades Portfolio Grading: Letter grades
  • The external sensor will audit the portfolio. The external sensor will also participate in and grade the final oral exam. The external sensor will discuss with the course responsible how the learning plan functioned.
  • Participation in excursions, seminars and exercises.
  • Approximately half of the course will be taught in English, the other half in Norwegian.
  • Lectures: 4-6 hours per week. Excursion: 1 day.
  • SKS302, 10 ects.
  • Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway (generell studiekompetanse)