Learning outcomes
Students familiarize with topical scientific literature and theories on CSR from multiple viewpoints. Aim is to be able to assess sustainability strategies and practices and the underlying drivers and performance applied in the context of bioeconomy. Case studies are also used in group works.
Contents
Familiarization with basic theories and models for corporate responsibility (CR/CSR) and their applications in emerging bioeconomy. Special emphasis is put on forest industry in global context. Course includes 10 h lectures and 4 h guest speakers, mid-term literature exam and group work or individual assignments. Fulfilment requires independent teaching and ability to participate at least 50 % of contact teaching and group work sessions.
Learning outcomes
After the course students are able to analyse market demand and supply and the effects of regulation, students are able to apply planning tools for forest business production, marketing and selling. They are able to evaluate business operations using accounting and reporting methods.
Contents
Enterprise business plans, innovations, production economics, market forecasts, business regulations
Learning outcomes
Students will gain an overview of key concepts and current trends in international forest policy, and the main theories applied (critical policy analysis, network policy analysis, institutional policy analysis, rational policy analysis, and the advocacy coalition framework). They will be able to apply a political economy lens and methods such as institutional, discourse and network analysis to dissect an international forest policy arena (tropical deforestation). Students will be enabled to apply these basic concepts as well as methods and approaches to understanding politics and power in REDD+ (reducing emissions through avoided deforestation and forest degradation).
Contents
The course will start with an introduction into the field of international forest policy, and theories in forest policy analysis. An introduction to the policy arena of tropical deforestation in the context of climate change is followed by an overview of a theoretical framework to understand the political economy of deforestation, and related methods. REDD+ (reducing emissions through avoided deforestation and forest degradation) is used an example to showcase findings of such an analysis in a comparative design, and how institutional, discourse and network analysis can be applied. This knowledge will then be built upon by the students in group work to analyse REDD+ politics and power in selected countries. The key findings of each group and country case will be presented (as a powerpoint presentation and an essay) and discussed.
Topics covered:
Presentation of students’ group work results (country case study) and submission of essay.
Learning outcomes
In this course, students will learn to apply different conceptual models to the context of sustainability transformations. The students will also learn to compare how behavioural change is examined from other disciplinary perspectives, such as behavioural economics, policy sciences, and sociology. Students will learn to identify different behavioural change tools, identify and apply a relevant tool to change the target behaviour.
Contents
The course will address how behaviours of consumers/citizens, farmers and other stakeholders are related to large-scale sustainability transformations, as well as barriers and drivers to behavioural change. The course will focus on the conceptual models and empirical tools to explain and facilitate behavioural change, such as such as policy instruments, nudging, information provision, and marketing. The course will especially focus on theories and methods used in social and environmental psychology but will also discuss their relation to behavioural economics and sociology.
Learning outcomes
The course is done using problem-based learning. The student will learn to:
Contents
The main topics in the course are:
Learning outcomes
To understand the interactions of forestry and carbon balances of forest ecosystems, other effects of forest management on climate.
Contents
Carbon balances of the world and of the role of forests, the role of forestry for forest ecosystem carbon balances. Measurement and certification of forest carbon balances.
Learning outcomes
Student knows and can explain the main concepts, theories and practical approaches of forest ecosystem management. The student is able to analyze the relationships and tradeoffs between different dimensions of sustainability in forest management contexts.
Contents
History and definitions of sustainability concepts, sustainability and forest policy, ecosystem approach, resilience thinking, managing forests as complex adaptive systems, ecosystem services, cultural sustainability, tactical models of implementation of sustainable forest ecosystem management.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the students will know how to apply the basic principles, concepts, methodologies and related socio-economic aspects to the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded ecosystems, soil, and surface and ground water.
Contents
The course has a multidisciplinary approach. Concepts and theory of restoration and rehabilitation; mechanisms of ecosystem degradation through inappropriate land-use practices, invasive exotics species, mismanagement, pollution or exploitation for timber and natural resources; species composition, structure, dynamics of degraded forests and land; practical methods of restoration and rehabilitation of degraded tropical, sub-tropical and boreal forest ecosystems and landscapes, including wetlands, agro-forest ecosystems and soils; evaluation of various case studies. There is a compulsory 1-2 day field trip.
Learning outcomes
Contents
Genetic diversity of forest trees is the basis of forest tree breeding. The course covers the stages of forest tree breeding from natural genetic variation to deployment of improved seeds in forest renewal. In this course, we will learn about the importance and practices of forest genetic resources, how they are studied and how they are used in breeding. Course includes methods of estimating heritability, additive genetic variance and breeding value while considering the environmental variance. The course also covers the use of genetic markers and other genomic technologies in forest breeding in e.g., genomic prediction and gene editing. Populations, stages and outputs of forest tree breeding cycles. In situ conservation of forest tree genetic resources. We will cover biology, practices and breeding programs around the world across species, from Eucalyptus to Scots pine.
Learning outcomes
Contents
Learning outcomes
Participants will gain understanding about the combined effect of multiple disturbance agents on forest dynamics and general principles of outbreak and disease ecology. Student will understand the connections among abiotic and biotic disturbance agents and how they are connected to insect and pathogen outbreaks in boreal forest ecosystem. Participants will learn e.g. evaluation of practical forest damage problems, analyzing the critical components of forest damage, applying the understanding in terms of control methods. Course will give an overview for a diverse array of methodology such as simulations, risk estimation, estimation of economic costs and genetic tools.
Contents
Course gives overview on interactive effects between plants, herbivores and pathogens and how their dynamics are affected by biotic and abiotic conditions.
Learning outcomes
After attending the course students will understand basic concepts and methods of field research of tropical forests and natural resources and of livelihoods of forest-dependent rural people. The course is aimed primarily at participants of the FOR 249 field course.
Contents
Theoretical background and field methods for:
Learning outcomes
After completing the course students will learn to identify and explain the major agroforestry systems of the tropics and developing countries. They will also be able to describe the mechanisms of biophysical and socio-economic interactions in agroforestry systems.
Contents
Ecological, technical, economic and social aspects of agroforestry systems and practices in the tropics and developing countries. Overview of participatory approaches in agroforestry, ecophysiological aspects of agroforestry, soil management in agroforestry, agricultural crop production and management in agroforestry, agroforestry and biodiversity, Agroforestry systems and carbon sequestration, modelling of agroforestry systems, policy for the development and promotion of Agroforestry, and linkages to major global environmental conventions (UNFCCC, UNCCD, UNCBD).
FOR-260 Advanced 3D remote sensing of forests, 5 cr
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to get acquainted with in-depth laser scanning and other 3D remote sensing materials, data processing and interpretation methods, and the use of 3D remote sensing in various applications of forest resource management.
Contents
Lectures: 3D remote sensing methods: laser scanning, SAR radargrammetry and SAR interferometry, aerial photography, optical wavelength satellite images. Remote sensing data pre-processing and interpretation. 3D remote sensing in forest resource inventory, mapping and monitoring.
An important part of the course is the compulsory exercises: Processing and utilization of 3D remote sensing data, especially laser scanning data, in forest resource management applications.
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is that the students should be able to model and solve complicated (e.g. multi-objective and/or spatial, discrete/continuous) forest resources management problems using operations research tools.
Contents
Multi-objective and/or spatial, discrete/continuous problems. Simulation, Markov Chains, linear programming and its extensions (MIP, GP, CP), and heuristic optimization. Decision making under uncertainty using stochastic optimization and the concepts of value of stochastic solution and value of information.
Learning outcomes
To give an understanding of wood procurement operations. Ability to make analyses of supply chains and to handle different type of tools for planning and decision-making.
Contents
Wood supply strategy, stocks, harvesting operations - production and planning, transport operation - capacity and costing, transport management, information management. Assignments and project work (case study). Excursion.
Learning outcomes
After taking the course, students are able to describe how the properties of wood fibres vary, how they can be classified and modified, and how they affect the properties of fibre based products. Furthermore, students have the knowledge how to analyze the suitability of fibre raw material to different products.
Contents
Variation and measurement of wood fibres, fibre modification and its effect on product properties, manufacturing and use of nanocellulose, wood fibres as raw material for composites, textiles and biorefineries.