Skip to content

Policies, Markets and Standards for Forest Ecosystem Services

14 ECTS Padua Year 2 Semester 3 Compulsory Humanities

Content

The course is structured into two integrated modules.

The first module (Market-Based Instruments for Ecosystem Services) aims at developing knowledge and competences of principles and operational instruments for the valorisation of ecosystem services in a market-based perspective.

The “Market-based instruments for ecosystem services” module consists of 4 parts:

  1. Ecosystem Services: what are they, their rationale, and classifications.
  2. The set of instruments for stimulating the provision of ecosystem services: mandatory and voluntary tools.
  3. Payment for Ecosystem Services. Theoretical background. PES basic concepts and definitions, typologies, examples, and components; designing and applying PES; PES markets in the fields of water, biodiversity, recreation. PES assessment: effectiveness, efficiency, equity and ethics.
  4. Forests in common and Elinor Ostrom’s contribution to research and practice on natural resource management

The “Social Responsibility, Standards, and Certification” module consists of 7 parts:

  1. Introduction to general concepts related to societal marketing (rationale, origins, and recent developments).
  2. Overview of the main social and environmental responsibility tools (private, public, and hybrid), with particular attention to those suitable for the private sector.
  3. In-depth analysis of management standards (purpose, structure, content, approaches, and certification procedures), with a particular focus on existing international standards for promoting sustainable forest management (origins, organization, governance, and objectives).
  4. In depth focus on forest management certification (standard development and implementation) and the positive impacts of management, particularly regarding ecosystem services.
  5. In depth focus on certification of traceability (chain of custody) and labeling for both wood and non-wood forest products.
  6. Overview of key approaches and tools to facilitate the adoption of standards and certification by smallholders and small enterprises.
  7. Fundamentals of auditing and reporting techniques, procedures, and tools.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to design, operationalize and assess different mechanisms for forest management according to principles of ecological, economic and social sustainability.
The second module (Social Responsibility, Standards, and Certification) builds upon the general framework established in the first module and aims to introduce and explore the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and societal marketing, providing students with an operational focus on tools for their implementation. Particular attention will be paid to standard and certification issues, with special reference to forest standards/certification both at the forest stage and along the forest-product and service supply-chain, as innovative tools to promote responsible forest management and valuing of complex socio-ecological systems.

Teaching and learning methods

The main topics are presented through lectures. Analysis and discussion of case studies, paper presentations, exercises, field excursion.
Although not compulsory, attendance and punctuality at lectures are highly appreciated. Active participation to lectures and class discussion will be part of the final assessment.

Type of assessment

  • Individual
  • Written exam, Oral presentation

  • The exam for the “Market-based instruments for ecosystem services” module consists of three parts:

    1. a group presentation during classes
    2. a written examination (4 open-ended questions)
    3. an oral exam: discussion of the open questions and other topics in the course syllabus

    The exam for the “Social Responsibility, Standards, and Certification” module consists of two parts:

    1. a written exam (6 open-ended questions)
    2. an oral exam, including a discussion of the written questions and other topics covered in the course syllabus.

    Students may take the written exam separately for each module, while the oral exam will cover both modules together.

    The final mark for each module is made up of 3 components to be achieved in this order:

    1. 20% up for active class participation: pro-active attitude in lectures and during class exercises and class group presentations.
    2. 40% for written exam. Assessment criteria: thoroughness in dealing with the topic; appropriate use of language and concepts proper to the discipline and ability to explain their meaning; logical and expository clarity; personal insights.
    3. 40% for oral exam for the oral exam. Assessment criteria: knowledge of the topics, capacity to present and discuss them in a clear, logical and critical way, capacity to place them in the correct context and to understand logic relationships with other topics of the course and, in general, with the other disciplines.

    The grade for the Market-based instruments for ecosystem services module will account for 6/14 of the overall course grade while the Social Responsibility, Standards, and Certification module will account for 8/14 of the overall course grade.

Institution(s)

  • Location: Padua
  • ECTS granting: University of Padua
  • Organisation: University of Padua

Webpage(s)

Coordinator(s)

Paola Gatto

Pr Paola Gatto

  • Full professor (PhD)
  • University of Padua, Padua Italy
Read more

Mauro Masiero

forest illustration