Systems of Sustainable Forest Management

After finishing the course, students are expected to be able to:

Knowledge:

• Understand foresty’s potential and biophysical limitations in contributing to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in middle and low-income countries.
• Understand key contemporary issues in global forestry, including estimations of sustainable levels of harvesting, biophysically sustainable vs. sustained-yield forestry; silvicultural systems for sustainable utilisation of natural and semi-natural forests; the opportunities and risks of plantation forestry; the linkages between sustainable forestry paradigms, forest policy, observable practices, and how sustainable forestry might be achieved.
• Describe/define scientific forestry/empire forestry, including its effects on contemporary forest management regimes.

Skills:

• Apply principles, theories, and frameworks of ecosystems to sustainable forestry schemes in case studies.
• Judge the quality of scientific publications and dominant paradigms on sustainable forestry.
• Apply principles of political ecology in the analysis of concrete cases of forest management and conservation
• Communicate concisely and confidently in written format

Competences:

• Argue convincingly and think critically within the parameters of a particular academic discipline.
• Reflect on the concept of biophysically sustainable forestry and the role of forests in promoting sustainability, especially concerning sustainable development goal no. 15, Life on Land.
• Reflect on the role of scientific forestry/forest management regimes in relation to access to natural resources, livelihoods and citizen involvement.
• Demonstrate the values of scholarship: inquiry, reflection, integrity, open-mindedness, evidence-based thinking, and collegiality.
• Tackle problems by collecting, analysing, and evaluating appropriate qualitative and quantitative information and using it creatively.