6 ECTS Padua Year 1 Semester 2 Compulsory Environmental sciences
Content
The course will present the basic concepts and practices of forest operation within the context of managing forest resources and ecosystems sustainability focusing on the timber harvesting process and the interactions between logging, roads and transport systems both in close-to-nature forests as in plantations.
Cost-efficiency and sustainable forest operation through a reduced impact of forest harvesting means appropriate planning and high capacity to evaluate forest harvesting operations.
The course is organized into 3 modules:
- basic technology knowledge of logging operation;
- basic knowledge to analyze forest operation efficiency also the use of GIS;
- basic concepts to evaluate and synthesize environmental aspects of the forest operation.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the students will be able to understand the timber harvesting process and explain interactions between logging, roads and transport systems both in close-to-nature forests as in plantations. They will be able to critically evaluate the linkages between timber harvesting and wood transportation logistics and they will be able to assess and synthesize environmental and economic aspects to determine and describe appropriate harvesting technology and mitigating measures to reduce timber harvesting impacts.
Teaching and learning methods
The course will consist of frontal lectures and in laboratory activities (decision analysis based on spreadsheet models) during which student will be able to analyze technical and operational issues of forest operation.
Some field trips and practical activities are planned.
The learning material used for the course will be made available to students through the Moodle platform of the School.
Type of assessment
- Individual
- Written exam, Written assignment, Oral presentation
The examination consists of:
– A quiz about the program;
– A presentation of a case study or in a short review on a specific topic. The case study or the subject review will be discussed previously with the teacher.
Students will be evaluated on:
– Participation: active attitude in lectures and during class exercises and laboratory activity;
– Quiz exam: knowledge of the topics, capacity to present and discuss them in a critical way, 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
– Oral presentation: capacity to apply appropriate methodologies for the analysis of the case study and on the ability to explain the appropriate solution/s, or to introduce and explain appropriately the chosen subject review.
Institution(s)
- Location : Padua
- ECTS granting : University of Padua
- Organisation : University of Padua
Webpage(s)
Coordinator(s)
Stefano Grigolato
