Urban ecology: from biocoenotic and landscape functions to modern management and planning

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

Accelerating interactions of humans with their environment have implications for all spheres, regions and landscapes. Further growth in world population, climate change and other factors will exacerbate the challenges to maintain the capacity of ecosystems and livelihoods for coming generations. Today it is very important skills of evaluation of interactions between human pressure and landscape elements in urban area together with urban planning and environmental protection. Aim of the course is delivering the knowledge in the field of ecological variants of procedures of management of freshwaters and wetlands in city landscape as well as restoration of wetlands on degraded areas. The course will solve the following issues: what should we know about urban landscape, understanding the significance of urban development on habitat fragmentation and biodiversity, analysis the role of sub-urban/urban landscape for environment, assessment of landscape degradation and solutions for sustainable planning. The course includes practical activities in the field of: recognition of state and quality of degraded / transformed environments, analysis of spatial possibilities of ecosystems renewal (reconstruction) and design of ecological status in variants of restoration actions. The course include also knowledge of the application of plants and animals as well as physical parameters as indicators of quality state of abiotic environment necessary to diagnosis of landscape state.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

knowledge from biological or geographical or environmental science.

Syllabus

Course duration: 10 weeksInclude:1) a reading assignment2) problem-based lectures3) a problem set with solutions4) workshops involving problem-based exercises5) end-project Course text: Notes and Handouts

Reading list

Dell’Angelo J., D’Odorico P., Rulli M.C. 2017. Threats to sustainable development posed by land and water grabbing. Curr Opin Env Sust 26–27, 120-128.Dronin N., Bychkova A. 2018. Perceptions of american and russian environmental scientists of today’s key environmental issues: a comparative analysis. Environment, Development and Sustainabili 20(5), 2095-2105.Mitsch W.J., X. Wu, R.W. Nairn et al. 1998. Creating and restoring wetlands. BioScience 48: 1019-1027.Allan J.D, Castillo M.M. 2007. Stream Ecology: Structure and function of running waters. 2nd ed. Chapman and Hall, New York. pp. 436.Milner A.M., Fastie C.L., Chapin F.S., Engstrom D.R., Sharman L.C. 2007. Interactions and linkages among ecosystems during landscape evolution. Bioscience 57: 237-247.