Forest Ecology and Management

The course aims to provide students with a deep understanding of forest ecosystems, highlighting the importance of their sustainable management and conservation. Students will learn to assess current and future environmental challenges, gaining skills to maintain and enhance provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. This includes a focus on biodiversity conservation, risk prevention (such as fire management, drought, and pathogen control), and the role of forests as a tool for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Students will develop an in-depth knowledge of forest ecosystems (biological diversity, ecological processes), understanding the importance of forests in providing provisioning and regulating ecosystem services, and the interactions between climate crises, wildfires, droughts, pathogens, and forest health, evaluating the impact of these threats on ecosystem resilience. They will be able to critically analyze and assess forest management projects, considering their effectiveness in promoting ecological resilience and maintaining ecosystem services, with a focus on ecological, economic, and social sustainability. They will acquire basic skills in using technological tools for monitoring and conserving forest ecosystems. Students will learn how to communicate complex concepts of forest ecology and sustainable management to diverse audiences, utilizing various formats and communication techniques. They will reflect on the ethical importance of conserving forest ecosystems, advocating for responsible and sustainable natural resource management, with a strong sense of responsibility toward society and the environment.