701-0659-00L Tropical Forests, Agroforestry and Complex Socio-Ecological Systems
| Semester | Autumn Semester 2021 |
| Lecturers | C. Garcia, A. Giger Dray, P. Waeber |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701-0659-00 G | Tropical Forests, Agroforestry and Complex Socio-Ecological Systems | 2 hrs |
| C. Garcia, A. Giger Dray, P. Waeber |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | The course will focus on integrated landscape approaches for the management of tropical forest landscapes, by addressing the complex interactions between ecological processes, stakeholders´ strategies and public policies. Dedicated tools such as games and simulation models to improve knowledge and foster collective decision-making processes will be explored. |
| Learning objective | Through the course the students will learn: Section 1: Concepts and Methods 1. To master definitions and concepts: SES; Vulnerability; Resilience, Environmentalist Paradox. 2. To gain exposure to methods for assessing stakeholders perceptions/practices/knowledge. Section 2: Recognising diversity & Interdisciplinarity 1. To understand points of views/normative views and how these shape management objectives and practices. 2. Gain familiarity with major schools of thought on Natural Resources Management - Theory of the commons, Political Ecology, Vulnerability, Resilience. 3. To explore interdisciplinary approaches to natural resources management. Section 3: Topics and Arenas 1. To understand links between Forest, Trees and Livelihoods - poverty, food security & well-being. 2. Gain familiarity with drivers of deforestation; degradation; reforestation. 3. Knowledge of global arenas affecting the international forest regime, and their impact at the local level. 4. To recognise and understand trade-offs between conservation and development in a forest/agroforest context; A major objective of the course is to encourage students to develop a critical analysis of existing conservation and development narratives within the frame of agroforestry and forested agricultural landscapes. The course will also provide students with methods and tools to assess stakeholders perceptions/practices and knowledge, that will be of use in their professional life. |
| Content | The course will address: 1- Definitions of forests and agroforests, deconstructing the rigid historical divisions between these two, and showing the complexities and implications legal definitions will have on the management systems. We will also address the definitions of Social and Ecological System (SES) and Resilience, useful for the entire course. We will provide insights on how to describe the SES using the ARDI methodology (Actors, Resources, Dynamics and Interactions) 2- Methodological frameworks to understand drivers and coping strategies of stakeholders (Sustainable livelihood framework & Vulnerability; Ecosystem Services & trade-offs; Companion Modelling and Adaptive Management; Surveys and Participatory Appraisals) Building upon this, and introducing the Forest Transition curve as guiding framework for the course, a series of case studies will be presented, highlighting the different drivers and issues at each stage of the transition curve (Kanninen et al. 2007). 1- Tropical Forestry - including Reduced Impact Logging, Forest Certification, and International Timber Market. 2- Secondary forests and Agroforests - landscape mosaics, forest fragments, non timber forest products, slash and burn systems, small holder production systems. 3- Conversions and Deforestation: Global trends, Biofuel extensions . 4- Reforestation and Agroforestry : Plantations. 5- Conclusion - Future trends; Global Arenas and Local Governance. The course will tackle new and emerging topics such as the role of forests and trees in adaptation to climate change, the links between forest, poverty and food security, and the need to mainstream conservation of biodiversity outside protected areas. The course will draw from diverse disciplines, from ecology, economy, sociology, political sciences and legal studies as the most preeminent ones. The course will enlarge the scope of the students from the ecological process to the social and political components of tropical social and ecological systems. It will address topics and case studies that the students will have little opportunity to address elsewhere, linking them to issues of global relevance in environmental sciences. |
| Literature | Assunçao, J., C. C. e Gandour, and R. Rocha. 2012. Deforestation Slowdown in the Legal Amazon: Prices or Policies? Climate Policy Initiative Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro. Bastin, Jean-Francois, Yelena Finegold, Claude Garcia, Danilo Mollicone, Marcelo Rezende, Devin Routh, Constantin M. Zohner, and Thomas W. Crowther. "The global tree restoration potential." Science 365, no. 6448 (2019): 76-79. Chazdon, R. L., Brancalion, P. H., Laestadius, L., Bennett-Curry, A., Buckingham, K., Kumar, C., ... & Wilson, S. J. (2016). When is a forest a forest? Forest concepts and definitions in the era of forest and landscape restoration. Ambio, 45(5), 538-550. Costanza, R., R. d'Arge, R. De Groot, S. Farber, M. Grasso, B. Hannon, K. Limburg, S. Naeem, R. V. O'Neill, and J. Paruelo. 1997. The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253-260. FAO. 2010. Global Forest Resource Assessment 2010. Page 342. FAO, Rome. Garcia, C. A., Savilaakso, S., Verburg, R. W., Gutierrez, V., Wilson, S. J., Krug, C. B., ... & Waeber, P. O. (2020). The global forest transition as a human affair. One Earth, 2(5), 417-428. Kanninen, M., D. Murdiyarso, F. Seymour, A. Angelsen, S. Wunder, and L. German. 2007. Do trees grow on money: The implications of deforestation research for policies to promote REDD. Forest Perspectives. Forest Perspectives. CIFOR, Bogor. Lescuyer, G., P. O. Cerutti, E. E. Mendoula, R. Ebaa-Atyi, and R. Nasi. 2010. Chainsaw milling in the Congo Basin. ETFRN News 52:121-128. Torquebiau, E. F. 2000. A renewed perspective on agroforestry concepts and classification. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences-Series III-Sciences de la Vie 323:1009-1017. World Bank. 2004. Sustaining Forests: a development strategy. Page 81, Washington, DC. |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 3 credits |
| Examiners | C. Garcia, A. Giger Dray, P. Waeber |
| Type | session examination |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | The performance assessment is offered every session. Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit. |
| Mode of examination | oral 20 minutes |
| Additional information on mode of examination | A 20 minutes questions/answers, in english. |
| This information can be updated until the beginning of the semester; information on the examination timetable is binding. | |
Learning materials
| No public learning materials available. | |
| Only public learning materials are listed. |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| There are no additional restrictions for the registration. |
Offered in
| Programme | Section | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences Bachelor | Human-Environment Systems | W |  |