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Intoduction to Forestry

Course developers

Course abstract

Forest ecosystem structure and ongoing processes. Elements and characteristics of forest stand. Trees and shrubs. Measurement of the diameter and height of trees. Tree differentiation. Types of forest use. Timber harvesting. Types of felling. Fundamentals of forest typology. Reforestation. Forest guarding against fire. Within the study course, students visit the study research farm "Vecauce".

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. Gaining knowledge of forest, bog and meadow ecosystems, their types, meaning and protection. Structural elements and characteristics of forest ecosystems. Is able to focus on forestry terminology, and is capable of determining elements of forest ecosystem structure, describing and calculating forest stand characteristics. – 1st TEST “Forest, bog and grassland ecosystems”, 6 practical works and 4 practical works in forest conditions.
2. Obtaining knowledge of forest typology and is able to apply the obtained knowledge to the detection of edaphic rows and forest types. Gets knowledge of forest uses and is able to define the types of felling used in forestry and their application objectives – 2nd theory TEST “Forest typology and forest use”, 8 practical works and 3 practical works in forest conditions.
3. Gaining knowledge and being able to focus on silviculture processes related to forest restoration and forest guarding – 3rd theory TEST “Forest guarding and restoration” and 1 practical work in forest conditions.
After learning the study course, students are competent in forest terminology and classifying forest-based silviculture processes.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Lecture list

1. Concepts of forestry, silviculture and forest science. World, European and Latvian forests. (1 hour)
2. Forest ecosystem concept, structure and basic functions. (1 hour)
3. Forest construction elements, types of forest stands and their composition. (1 hour)
4. Forest stand characteristics: prevailing and main tree species, average, height, site index, thickness and density. (1 hour)
5. Forest stand characteristics: composition, basal area, stocking. (1 hour)
6. Forest ecosystems, forest construction elements and characteristics – 1st TEST (1 hour)
7. Forest typology. (1 hour)
8. Edaphic rows, their detection in nature. Tropical groups of forest ecosystems. (1 hour)
9. Forest on dry mineral soils. (1 hour)
10. Forest on wet mineral soils. (1 hour)
11. Forest on wet peat soils. (1 hour)
12. Forest on drained mineral soil. (1 hour)
13. Forest on drained peat soil. (1 hour)
14. Forest uses and their characterization. (1 hour)
15. Final felling types. Regeneration felling (clear cutting). (1 hour)
16. Sampling felling. (1 hour)
17. Thinning. Salvage logging. Landscape felling. (1 hour)
18. Reconstructive felling. Deforestation felling. Other felling. (1 hour)
19. Forest typology and forest use - 2nd TEST (1 hour)
20. Natural and anthropogenic (artificial) regeneration of forest. (1 hour)
21. Forest guarding and its organisation. Causes of wildfire occurrence. Wildfire Scheme. (1 hour)
22. Types of wildfires. Preventive measures for reducing and disseminating fire numbers. (1 hour)
23. Types of reforestation and forest guarding - 3rd TEST (1 hour)
24. Problems and solutions of forest ecosystem management. (1 hour)


2. Practical work list

1. Tree Species and their Silviculture Characteristics (2 hours)
2. Measuring the diameter of trees (1 hour)
3. Measurement of tree height (1 hour)
4. Construction of stand height curve (1 hour)
5. Calculation of dendrometric characteristics of forest stands (1 hour)
6. Tree Species Growth and Their Comparison (1 hour)
7. Forest Typology (5 hours)
8. Reforestation and guarding (2 hours)


3. Practical work in forest conditions

1. Practical work and insight into the operation of research farm “Vecauce” (16 hours)
2. Determining forest structure elements in nature (1 hour)
3. Determining the diameter and height of trees in nature (1 hour)
4. Determining dendrometric characteristics of forest stands in nature (1 hour)
5. Determining naturally established edaphic rows in nature (1 hour)
6. Detection of anthropogenic established edaphic rows in nature (1 hour)
7. Signs of determining forest types in nature (4 hours)
8. Plan preventive measures to reduce the number of fires and, if necessary, limit the spread of forest fire in the specific forest stands (1 hour)

Requirements for awarding credit points

The number of missed lessons during the study course should not exceed 15% of all expected lessons.
All TESTS and practical work are successfully written during study course.
The offset (with a mark) is cumulative assessment of 3 written TESTS and 24 practical works.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Students independently complement their knowledge of the topics in lectures and practice by preparing structured and well-founded questions of interest that we discuss in the lessons before starting a new topic/practice.
The practical jobs that students do not advocate in the current lesson are completed by students independently and advocated in the next lesson.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The assessment of knowledge, skills and competence takes place on a 10-party scale. An oral or written answer is successful if at least 50% of the questions are answered correctly.
The final assessment is formed from the cumulative assessment of TESTS and practical works.
The questions of TESTS can be found in the section of the practical work checkouts, and in the full programme of the study course.
Part of the practical works should be developed in the audience (evaluation according to the accuracy of estimates), part occurs in nature (forest), assessing how competent a student is able to derive the theoretical knowledge and skills obtained in forest - ecosystem recognition and characterization.
The requirements and arrangements of overdue lessons: practical works to be reworked at the specified time and order; for oral answer or rewriting of unsuccessful TEST is given one option.

Compulsory reading

1. Latvijas meža tipoloģija, mācību līdzeklis LLU Meža fakultātes studentiem un nozares speciālistiem, A/S LVM, Jelgava: LLU Meža fakultāte, Studentu biedrība "Šalkone". 2014. 117 lpp.
2. Zālītis P., Jansons J. Latvijas meža tipoloģija un tās sākotne. Daugavpils: Akadēmiskais apgāds Saule, 2013. 167 lpp.
3. Skudra P., Dreimanis A. Mežsaimniecības pamati. Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1993. 1. 89. lpp.
4. Mangalis I. Meža atjaunošana un ieaudzēšana. Rīga: Et Cetera, 2004. 455 lpp.
5. Dreimanis A. Mežsaimniecības pamati, mācību līdzeklis LLU Meža fakultātes studentiem un nozares speciālistiem, A/S LVM, Jelgava: LLU Meža fakultāte, Studentu biedrība "Šalkone". 2016. 219 lpp.

Further reading

1. Bušs K. Meža ekoloģija un tipoloģija. Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1981. 1. 66 lpp.
2. Meža enciklopēdija. 1.sēj. Rīga: Zelta Grauds, 2003. 367 lpp.
3. Miezīte O. Metodiskie norādījumi laboratorijas darbiem "Mežsaimniecības pamati" 2014. Pieejams: http://estudijas.llu.lv/course/view.php?id=474
4. Miezīte O. Meža aizsardzība un apsardzība. I daļa Meža entomoloģija, mācību līdzeklis LLU Meža fakultātes studentiem un nozares speciālistiem, A/S LVM, Jelgava: LLU Meža fakultāte, Studentu biedrība "Šalkone". 2015. 172 lpp.
5. Miezīte O. Meža aizsardzība. II daļa Meža entomoloģija, mācību līdzeklis LLU Meža fakultātes studentiem un nozares speciālistiem, A/S LVM, Jelgava: LLU Meža fakultāte, Studentu biedrība "Šalkone". 2017. 173 lpp.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Starptautiskais zinātnisko rakstu krājums "Baltic Forestry"; ISSN 1392-1355
2. LLU Raksti. Proceedings of LAU, www.llu.lv; ISSN 1407-4427
3. Zinātnisko rakstu krājums "Mežzinātne";www.silava/mezzinatne/lv; ISSN 1407-270X

Notes

Study course included in the mandatory part of the MF academic bachelor's study programme “Forest Science”.