Applied ecology

Summary

The course will provide the ecological systems knowledge needed to question applied sustainability solutions. We will critically assess the complexity of current environmental issues, illustrating basic ecological concepts and principles.

Content

Keywords

applied ecology, resource management, forest ecosystems, trees, community ecology, species interactions, ecosystem functions and services, biodiversity, climate change

Learning Prerequisites

Recommended courses

Fundamentals in Ecology (ENV 220)

Expected student activities

- Understand the complexity of interactions and structures in ecosystems. Know how ecosystem processes, functions and services interact and feed back across multiple spatio-temporal scales (in general, plus in-depth case examples);

- Understand that biodiversity and the interaction between organisms are an integral part of ecosystems. Being aware that the link between biodiversity and process/function/service is rarely fully understood. Know how to honestly deal with this lack of understanding and can nevertheless find, critically analyze and communicate solutions.

- Understand the importance of ecosystem services for society.

Assessment methods

Oral presentation (50%, individual grade) and written report (50%, group work)

Resources

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/ENV-422