2025
Landscape and Countryside
Name: Landscape and Countryside
Code: PAO00782L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
Geography
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
- understand how rural space is organized on a daily basis and what role agriculture and other activities and uses play in the development of rural space;
- understand the difference within the rural space, between the central and remote rural areas, and between the most productive and the most conservation interests and less population dynamics;
- understanding that it is an agri-food system and how it interacts with the rural space through production, but also through two consumers and local consumption;
- understand non-rural innovation processes and the mechanisms they encourage or limit;
- analyze how and on what scale the interaction between the same territory and the same landscape occurs, productive and non-productive functions, what processes of change are underway and what conflicts and synergies may arise
- obtain concepts and analytical tools that allow us to read and analyze the organization of the rural landscape and ongoing activities
- understand the difference within the rural space, between the central and remote rural areas, and between the most productive and the most conservation interests and less population dynamics;
- understanding that it is an agri-food system and how it interacts with the rural space through production, but also through two consumers and local consumption;
- understand non-rural innovation processes and the mechanisms they encourage or limit;
- analyze how and on what scale the interaction between the same territory and the same landscape occurs, productive and non-productive functions, what processes of change are underway and what conflicts and synergies may arise
- obtain concepts and analytical tools that allow us to read and analyze the organization of the rural landscape and ongoing activities
Contents
1 Introduction to Rural Geography. Definition of rural. The perspective of Geography and other perspectives on the rural. Concepts, terminology and methods
2. Traditional rural space organisation: territory-agriculture-community. The importance of the agricultural sector and the multifunctional farm. The different trajectories of differentiated rural spaces and the importance of localisation.
4. Land use systems in the Alentejo: the Montado; rainfed production systems; irrigated and specialised intensive systems.
5. Land use systems and land occupation. The scale and production of the legend. Mapping and collecting information by survey.
6. Innovation and innovation processes in rural areas: what innovation is and what mechanisms favour or limit it.
7. The agri-food system at various scales. The value chain. Consumption and consumers, production-processing-distribution-consumption links.
2. Traditional rural space organisation: territory-agriculture-community. The importance of the agricultural sector and the multifunctional farm. The different trajectories of differentiated rural spaces and the importance of localisation.
4. Land use systems in the Alentejo: the Montado; rainfed production systems; irrigated and specialised intensive systems.
5. Land use systems and land occupation. The scale and production of the legend. Mapping and collecting information by survey.
6. Innovation and innovation processes in rural areas: what innovation is and what mechanisms favour or limit it.
7. The agri-food system at various scales. The value chain. Consumption and consumers, production-processing-distribution-consumption links.
Teaching Methods
Classes will be distributed between theoretical and practical components, according to the timetable but also following the development of the subject.
The theoretical component is based on material given by the lecturers and readings made by the students, and on discussions in which the students must participate, for example based on the texts on which they must write reviews. The practical component is aimed at discussing and carrying out practical work in groups, which must be completed outside of class. There will be a study visit, which corresponds to a lesson in the field. This visit will cover the themes of the course, but above all those related to the practical work.
The theoretical component is based on material given by the lecturers and readings made by the students, and on discussions in which the students must participate, for example based on the texts on which they must write reviews. The practical component is aimed at discussing and carrying out practical work in groups, which must be completed outside of class. There will be a study visit, which corresponds to a lesson in the field. This visit will cover the themes of the course, but above all those related to the practical work.
Assessment
A. Review of an article (1 p. A4), individual (5%)
B. Review of an article (1 p. A4), with an oral presentation, in a group, and respective discussion with the teacher (5%)
C. Group study visit report (2 pp. A4) (10%)
D. Individual test (40%)
E. Glossary of 20 terms related to the course (5 pp. A4) in groups (10%)
F. Practical work (30%), in groups. Delivery of the final report (10 A4 pages of text + figures) and presentation (max. 15 min.)
B. Review of an article (1 p. A4), with an oral presentation, in a group, and respective discussion with the teacher (5%)
C. Group study visit report (2 pp. A4) (10%)
D. Individual test (40%)
E. Glossary of 20 terms related to the course (5 pp. A4) in groups (10%)
F. Practical work (30%), in groups. Delivery of the final report (10 A4 pages of text + figures) and presentation (max. 15 min.)
Teaching Staff
- Dominik Noll
- Maria Rivera Mendez
- Maria Teresa Amado Pinto Correia [responsible]
Certificações
