New course run: https://www.edx.org/course/landscape-ecology-2
Course Overview:
This course presents the discipline of Landscape Ecology, where natural and social sciences meet. You will realize how innovative and collaborative approaches used in Landscape Ecology allow land managers, planners and the public to shape landscapes for future societies. We will teach you the modern tools of Landscape Ecology enabling you to address fundamental research questions. Leading Landscape Ecology professors will present case studies from around the world, highlighting tools and methods in Landscape Ecology and how they are used to solve environmental problems.
What you'll learn:
- Methods for the valuation of landscapes using the ecosystem service paradigm
- How to quantify landscape attributes using landscape metrics
- Methods to assess user conflicts in ecologically sensitive landscapes
- How to use satellite data to detect landscape changes
- Philosophical aspects of landscapes, land ethics and conservation
- Theories of landscape perception and place attachment
- Ecology in the context of urban landscapes
- Statistical analysis with R
- How to work with spatial data and GIS
Schedule & Syllabus:
- The content is released in three large units (see columns "Unit" and "Release Date" below)
- Each week one section of the respective unit is due ( see "Due Date" below)
| Week | Unit | Section | Workload | Release Date | Due Date* | Quiz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (10.09 -16.09) | Course Welcome | 0.3 Introduce Yourself | 0h20 | 10.09 | 16.09 | |
| 1 (10.09 -16.09) | Unit 1: Foundation | 1.1 Introducing Landscape Ecology | 2h05 | 16.09 | Q01 | |
| 2 (17.09 -23.09) | 1.2 Drivers of Landscape Pattern | 1h50 | 23.09 | Q02 | ||
| 3 (24.09 -30.09) | Unit 2: Land System Modelling | 2.1 Theory: Landscape Modelling | 2h35 | 24.09 | 30.09 | Q03 |
| 4 (01.10 -07.10) | 2.2 Case Study: Oil Exploration and Rare Plants Conservation | 2h50 | 07.10 | Q04 | ||
| 5 (08.10 -14.10) | 2.3 Theory: Landscape Metrics | 1h50 | 14.10 | Q05 | ||
| 6 (15.10 -21.10) | 2.4 Case Study: Landscape Impacts of Transportation Infrastructure | 2h20 | 21.10 | Q06 | ||
| 7 (22.10 -28.10) | 2.5 Theory: Remote Sensing | 1h00 | 28.10 | Q07 | ||
| 8 (29.10 -04.11) | 2.6 Case Study: Urbanisation in the Maldives | 2h10 | 04.11 | Q08 | ||
| CANCELLED 2.7 Case Study (optional): Coral Bleaching in the Maldives | ||||||
| 9 (05.11 -11.11) | Unit 3: Landscape and Society | 3.1 Theory: Landscape Perception | 1h30 | 05.11 | 11.11 | Q09 |
| 10 (12.11 -18.11) | 3.2 Case Study: Renewable Energy and Landscape Conflicts | 2h15 | 18.11 | Q10 | ||
| 11 (19.11 -25.11) | 3.3 Theory: Ecosystem Services and Valuation | 1h30 | 25.11 | Q11 | ||
| 12 (26.11 -02.12) | 3.4 Case Study: Land Ethics | 2h30 | 02.12 | Q12 | ||
| 13 (03.12 -09.12) | 3.5 Theory: Urban Ecology | 0h30 | 09.12 | Q13 | ||
| 14 (03.12 -09.12) | 3.6 Case Study: Urban Ecology in Bangalore | 1h40 | 09.12 | Q14 |
*Assignment due date refers to 11:30pm UCT. There is a 24h grace period on the respective deadlines. Note that there are a number of mini essays tasks which have different due dates and no grace period due to a peer review process. See the specific assignments for more details (assignments 1.1.8, 2.4.10, 3.2.11, 3.4.8 and 3.6.6)
Grading Policy:
- Each section of this course is graded individually ( e.g. section "1.1 Foundation: Introducing Landscape Ecology" is graded by Quiz Q1)
- All questions within a section count towards the grade of that section.
- To pass you need to score above 50% in 10 of the 14 sections.
Workload:
- Approximately 2-4 hours per week
- The workload is equal to 2 ECTS
Duration:
- 14 Weeks
Prerequisits:
- High-school algebra
- Basic knowledge in GIS and statistics ( or willingness to put in some extra effort)
- basic ecology
- understanding of maps
Academic Policy
You are required to abide by the terms of the edX honor code