Introduction to forestry sciences [ LBIR1334 ]

a. Contribution de l'activité au référentiel AA (AA du programme)

Cohérence des AA cours en regard de ceux du programme

B1.1., B1.3., B1.4., B1.5., B2.1., B2.3., B3.1., B3.3., B3.5., B3.7., B6.2., B6.5.

b. Formulation spécifique pour cette activité des AA du programme (maximum 10)

At the end of this course, the student:

- understands the specifics of forest ecosystems and of their management;

- understands the functions and issues related to forests, in a variety of bio-climatic and socio-economic contexts;

- has the basics (vocabulary, methods, tools) needed to characterize forests (at the 'tree', 'stand', and 'ecosystem' levels; in both static and dynamic ways) and management methods;

- understands the main processes that regulate forest dynamics at the 'tree', 'stand' and 'ecosystem' levels, in natural conditions or under management;

- knows the cropping objectives associated with forest management as well as the silvicultural interventions implemented to meet them in the main temperate silvicultural systems (even-aged high forest, selection system, coppice and coppice with standards);

- is able to anticipate the impact of management actions on forests at the 'tree', 'stand' and 'ecosystem' levels;

- is able to analyse a forets site and a stand, and based on this, to establish basic management recommendations.

Written exam with short answers, oral examination focusing on a theoretical development, oral presentation (thematic research), written report (integrated project).

Lectures with active learning mini-activities and real-life examples, presentations given by stakeholders in the socio-professional world, oral presentations given by teams of students on a forest related issue with feedback, integrated small-scale project, one-day field trip in public forests.

Part I. Forests

- definitions

- diversity of forests over space

- diversity of forests over time

- humans and forests

Partie II. Trees

- definitions

- morphology and growth

- effects of environmental factors on tree

Partie III. Forest dynamics

- successions

- disturbances

- site availability and opening of gaps

- colonization and installation

- biotic interactions

- species strategies

- silvigeneses

Partie IV. Silvicultures

- context

- silvicultural systems

- cropping objectives and silvicultural interventions

- Lecture notes: slides available on iCampus

- Additional materials available on iCampus

- Recommended text books:

Barnes, B.V., Zak, D.R., Denton, S.R., Spurr, S.H., 1998. Forest ecology. 4th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, 774 p;

Kimmins, J.-P., 1997. Forest ecology. A foundation for sustainable management. 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, USA, 596 p.;

Nyland, R.D., 2002. Silviculture : concepts and applications. 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill, USA, 682 p.;

Oliver, C.D., Larson, B.C., 1996. Forest stand dynamics. Update Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 520 p.;

Sands, R., 2005. Forestry in a global context. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 262 p.;

Schütz, J.-P., 1990. Sylviculture 1. Principes d'éducation des forêts. Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, Lausanne, Suisse, 243 p.;

Schütz, J.-P., 1997. Sylviculture 2. La gestion des forêts irrégulières et mélangées. Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, Lausanne, Suisse, 178 p.;

Smith, D.M., 1986. The practice of silviculture. 8th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, U.S.A., 527 p.