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Urban Forestry

Course developers

Course abstract

The study course allows students to deepen their knowledge of various forest management solutions, emphasizing both theoretical and practical differences.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge
The master's student is able to distinguish the goals of forestry and choose the right strategies for managing different lands with different types of use. As well as being able to distinguish how forests are managed in the urban environment and outside it and what are the potential limiting factors.
Type of examination – test.
Skills
As a result of taking the course, the master's student has improved his skills in forest management planning both in the urban environment and outside it.
Examination type – seminar.
Competences
The master's student is competent to independently plan and manage forests in the urban environment and is able to analyze and understand what to do if the land has different uses.
Test work – Prepared and presented independent work

Course Content(Calendar)

In full-time face-to-face studies:
Lectures (40 hours)
1. Introduction.The need for multipurpose forestry. Forest management planning
in general. 6h
2. Landscape ecological planning. Data, methods, objectives, territories. 4h
3. Zoning, maximum permissible felling volume. 2h.
4. Management strategies for different types of land use. Data, planning. 2h.
5. Forest inventory. Methods, data, cooperation with institutions. 4h
6. Urban environment and suburban forest management, planning, restoration,
peculiarities, methods of logging. 6h.
7. Communication strategy on forest management, goals. Types of questionnaire
drafting. 4 h
8. Monitoring, remote sensing technology solutions. 4h
9. Inner city forests, forest parks. Legislation, management, planning. 4h.
10. Fire monitoring, registration of forest animals, peculiarities of movement in the suburbs
in the woods. 4h.
11. Ecosystem services. 4h.

Practical works and seminars (8 hours)
1. Landscape planning goals and assessment (abiotic, biotic and cultural-historical factor assessment) planning strategies (active, protective, protection, adaptation), creation of different scenarios 2h
2. Carrying out forest inventory in a specific forest stand 2h
3. Group work on how to communicate with society about forest management. 2h
4. Carry out remote sensing of specific forest stands and present the obtained results in the form of a presentation. 2h

Requirements for awarding credit points

The number of lessons missed in the course of study may not exceed 20% of the number of all scheduled lessons.
Successfully written two theoretical test papers and presentation of the individual task in practical papers. Passing with a mark.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Independent preparation for knowledge control by studying specialized literature and using learning resources available within the study course in the e-study environment. Prepare a report that contains a more in-depth presentation of the topics learned in the course.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Assessment of knowledge, skills and competence takes place on a 10-point scale. An oral and written answer is successful if at least 50% of the questions are answered correctly. The final grade is formed from the written assessment of the study course, the practical works (reports and presentations) and the cumulative evaluation of the activities in the seminars.

Compulsory reading

1. Miller R. W., Hauer, R. J., & Werner, L. P. Urban forestry: planning and managing urban greenspaces. 3rd edition. Waveland press. 2015. 560p. ISBN 1478606371
2. Zigmunde D., Ņitavska N. Zaļās pilsētvides plānošana [elektroniskais resurss]: rokasgrāmata. Jelgava: Zemgales Plānošanas reģions, 2013. 115 p. CD-ROM.
3. Kohsaka R., & Uchiyama Y. “Urban Agriculture, Forestry and Green-Blue Infrastructure as “Re-Discovered Commons”: Bridging Urban-Rural Interface”. Sustainability, 13(11), 5872. Pieejams: https://www.mdpi.com/books/book/4721
4. Bradley, G. A. (Ed.). (1984). Land use and forest resources in a changing environment: the urban/forest interface. (No. 49). University of Washington Press.
5.Dreimanis A. Mežsaimniecības pamati. Jelgava: Studentu biedrība «Šalkone». 2016. 216 lpp. Ir LBTU FB 12 eks.

Further reading

1. Konijnendijk C.C. The Forest and the City – the cultural landscape of urban woodland. Dordrecht: Springer, 2008.
2. European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. San-Miguel-Ayanz J., de Rigo D., Caudullo G., Houston Durrant T., Mauri A. (Eds.), Publication Office of the European Union. Luxembourg, 2016. [tiešsaiste] Pieejams: https://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/european-atlas/atlas-download-page

Periodicals and other sources

1. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. ISSN 1618-8667. Pieejams: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/urban-forestry-and-urban-greening
2. Landscape and Urban Planning. ISSN 0169-2046. Pieejams: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/landscape-and-urban-planning
3. Journal of Environmental Management. ISSN: 0301-4797. Pieejams: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-environmental-management

Notes

The free-choice study course for the academic master's study program "Forestry", it is also offered for the master's study programs "Wood Materials and Technology", "Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing", "Landscape Architecture and Planning", "Environmental, Water and Land Engineering".