BSc Environmental Management / Course details

The course frames these debates within the context of two themes:

• Theory and techniques: this part of the course unit introduces key concepts in landscape ecology and demonstrate why they are important for contemporary approaches to land planning and management as well as developing IT and practical surveying skills (e.g. NVC) in analysing the structure, function and dynamics of landscapes.
• Policy and practice: this part of the course unit will introduce the key developments in international and UK policy that impact and implement landscape ecology principles and will demonstrate how landscape-scale planning and management is applied in practice.

Contemporary research and the experience of practitioners are used to introduce a wide range of topics exploring the issues and solutions in contemporary landscape ecology.

1.         To introduce key concepts in landscape ecology;

2.         To recognise recent developments in the application of landscape ecology principles in planning and conservation policy;

3.         To experience landscape planning and management in practice;

4.         To understand the importance of wildlife and conservation management at the landscape scale;

5.         To develop practical skills and techniques for analysing and surveying the ecology of landscapes, e.g. mapping and analysis in GIS and field skills such as NVC.

The course will be delivered through a mixture of lectures, workshops, site visits and student directed learning via online media (Blackboard) and recommended reading.