FEM-20909 Forest and Nature Conservation II - Management Planning and Tools

Course

Credits 9.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Assumed knowledge on:

FEM-22306 Forest Resources and Sustainable Management Systems; FNP-23303 Planning: Theories, Tools and Practices.

Continuation courses:

FNP-30306 Strategic Planning in Forest and Nature Conservation.

Contents:

In this course we prepare a general management plan for a nature area on the Veluwe. Important starting point is a landscape-ecological systems analysis (LESA) in which the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the area will be analysed using GIS. The plan involves the distribution and assignment of plant community types to be maintained or developed, and the required management interventions, that will realize the specific targets set for the area, within the boundaries of European, national and regional legislations and regulations.
During the course we will explore a number of management interventions available to maintain or improve the functioning of ecosystems and communities. This will be done by field measurements and data analysis on the effects of interventions in forest, heathlands and wet meadows.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- distinguish and apply all components that are needed to develop a management plan for natural areas and forests;
- recognise and analyse how abiotic terrain conditions relate to the occurrence of vegetation types;
- translate a management plan into associated costs and revenues and criteria of sustainable land use;
- apply geographical information systems to evaluate patterns in environmental and ecological variation and to evaluate the consequences of this variation in a landscape-ecological systems analysis (LESA);
- compare the different management interventions in forest and nature management, and analyse their effects on the functioning of ecosystems and their most important biotic and abiotic components;
- evaluate the relations between conservation goals, the historical context, the abiotic terrain conditions, and the plant- and animal communities present.

Activities:

- attending lectures and excursions (presence is mandatory);
- conducting inventories and interpretation of field data (using different techniques in statistical analysis);
- performing literature and archive studies, performing scenario studies constructing a management plan and defend this for an audience.

Examination:

The final grade will be determined by the grades (average) for the three assignments on management tools (50%) and the management plan, including the LESA (50%).

Literature:

Den Ouden, J.; B. Muys; Mohren, F.;Verheyen, K. (2010). Bosecologie en bosbeheer. ACCO, Leuven. 674p. ISBN 9033477823.
A workbook for the practical will be for sale on the first day.