Landscape Geography and Ecology

Code: PAO13361L

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: Geography

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

2. Erradicar a fome - Acabar com a fome, alcançar a segurança alimentar e melhoria da nutrição e promover a agricultura sustentável.

4. Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

6. Água potável e saneamento - Garantir disponibilidade e manejo sustentável da água e saneamento para todos.

7. Energias renováveis e acessíveis - Garantir acesso à energia barata, confiável, sustentável e renovável para todos.

13. Ação climática - Tomar medidas urgentes para combater a mudança climática e seus impactos (*).

15. Proteger a vida terrestre - Proteger, recuperar e promover o uso sustentável dos ecossistemas terrestres, gerir de forma sustentável as florestas, combater a desertificação, deter e reverter a degradação da Terra e deter a perda da biodiversidade.

Learning Goals

Landscape Geography and Ecology is an interdisciplinary CU at the interface between geography, landscape science and ecology. The objectives are twofold; explaining ecological structures and dynamics in their spatial-temporal and socio-ecological dimensions, and link the concepts, methods and approaches of ecology, landscape science and geography. The final objective of this UC is to facilitate future graduates the use of conceptual and analytical tools related to the landscape and their application in professional fields specific to geographers.

With this UC, the student should understand:

1. The historical development of the landscape sciences and their relevance to geography
and geographers,

2. The main analytical tools and techniques of landscape geography and ecology,

3. The potential of landscape geography and ecology to promote sustainable territorial development,

4. The main fields of application of landscape science for geographers.

- The origins and historical evolution of landscape science and its role in the scientific and
professional development of geography,

- Fundamental Concepts in Landscape Geography and Ecology,

- Methods and techniques of landscape geography and ecology,

-Contribution of landscape geography and ecology towards sustainable territorial development,

- Examples of scientific and professional applications for geographers,

- Case studies on rural and urban landscapes of the Alentejo.

Teaching Methods

This CU will be coordinated by lecturers with experience in Landscape Geography and Ecology to ensure the coherence of the syllabus taught. Teachers present the scientific knowledge and updated approaches. And for each theme, a contribution will be ensured by guests from the academy as well as from the corporate or associative sector. These selected speakers bring to the discussion how landscape geography and ecology potentially contribute to the sustainability of rural and urban territories.

Students should participate in all lectures, and for each theme , develop documentary research and present their own analysis of the issues discussed, and how they affect the dynamics of landscapes.

Each topic is followed by a research and group work by the students, to be discussed in class.
Each student should also develop an individual work on the topic of relevance, which will be specific from year to year.

Assessment

Continuous assessment regime: 30% Frequency + 70% Assignments (maximum of 4)
Minimum grade: 10 points in attendance and work
Frequency Components: Theory (1/3), methods (1/3) and applications (1/3) of landscape ecology to land management and planning.
Work Components: Group Project (50%) + Individual Review (20%) + Individual study visit memory (20%) + Individual Practical Exercise (10%)
Approval through continuous assessment requires mandatory attendance in 75% of classes, which includes 100% attendance in project classes, except for admissible justification.

Final evaluation regime:
- Normal season exam - all material is assessed in an exam. Theory (30%) + Practice (70%)
- Appeal Exam ? all material is assessed in an exam. Theory (30%) + Practice (70%)

Any plagiarism detected in the work delivered, from work by other authors or from CHATGTP or other text production support using artificial intelligence, results in the classification of zero values ??in the work in question and the impossibility of presenting further assessment elements in the Curricular Unit.