Ecosystem Services from Forests and Nature

The course’s overall aim is to develop students’ ability to apply scientific knowledge for biophysical quantification and economic valuation of ES, as well as their critical thinking on the sound use of the resulting information, and its limitations. After taking this course, you should be capable of the following:

Knowledge

• Describe the ES conceptual framework and discuss key contemporary issues on its use.
• Understand and explain ecosystem functions that lead to provisioning of ES.
• Understand, explain and discuss:
  • How land use and land management affect the provisioning of ES, including utilization versus conservation.
  • The potential synergies and trade-offs between ES for a particular land use and land management.
• Understand and explain environmental economic theory on valuation of ES.

Skills

• Develop approaches and methodologies for ES quantification and economic valuation, based on theoretical, empirical and practical models and software.
• Apply these approaches and methodologies by selecting appropriate qualitative and quantitative data and subjecting them to analysis.

Competences

• Soundly interpret results from ES quantification and economic valuation calculations, including trade-offs and synergies, in context, and turn the outcome into alternative suggestions for action, depending on policy and management priorities.
• Critically assess strengths and weaknesses of various approaches and methodologies, choices of input data, and outcome interpretation in relation to ES quantification and economic valuation.
• Effectively communicate the results from ES quantification and economic valuation calculations, including reservations identified by the students critical reflection.
• Independently structure own learning processes, with a view to life-long learning.
• Independently, assume responsibility for own professional development, including explicit demonstration of competences, skills, behaviors and attitudes required for a successful professional work life.