Note from June 29, 2020
Although we do not yet know how long the social distancing related to the Covid-19 pandemic will last, and regardless of the changes that had to be made in the evaluation of the June 2020 session in relation to what is provided for in this learning unit description, new learnig unit evaluation methods may still be adopted by the teachers; details of these methods have been - or will be - communicated to the students by the teachers, as soon as possible.
Although we do not yet know how long the social distancing related to the Covid-19 pandemic will last, and regardless of the changes that had to be made in the evaluation of the June 2020 session in relation to what is provided for in this learning unit description, new learnig unit evaluation methods may still be adopted by the teachers; details of these methods have been - or will be - communicated to the students by the teachers, as soon as possible.
4 credits
15.0 h + 30.0 h
Q2
Teacher(s)
Jacquemart Anne-Laure; Ponette Quentin (coordinator); Vincke Caroline;
Language
French
Prerequisites
Precursory courses: Introductory course in silviculture (for part B), ecology, plant physiology, botanics, plant taxonomy, plant systematics (field surveys) and soil science.
Supplemental courses: Silviculture, forest mensuration, forest management and planning, wildlife ecology and management.
Supplemental courses: Silviculture, forest mensuration, forest management and planning, wildlife ecology and management.
Main themes
- techniques of vegetation analysis: concepts and principles of plant sociology, methods of vegetation surveys and multivariate analyses of vegetation releves, influence of agro-forestry-pastoral ancestral practices on current vegetation;
- determinants of plant assemblages and vegetation dynamics, vegetation mapping;
- phytogeography, plant ecology and indicator value of species;
- plant demography, reproduction, dispersal;
- productivity and fluxes in forest ecosystems: energy, light, water, nutrients, carbon;
- site assessment: risks, constraints and potentialities;
- stability of forest ecosystems (case study): understanding of the issues, design of integrated protection strategies.
- determinants of plant assemblages and vegetation dynamics, vegetation mapping;
- phytogeography, plant ecology and indicator value of species;
- plant demography, reproduction, dispersal;
- productivity and fluxes in forest ecosystems: energy, light, water, nutrients, carbon;
- site assessment: risks, constraints and potentialities;
- stability of forest ecosystems (case study): understanding of the issues, design of integrated protection strategies.
Content
A. Table of contents
1. Site assessment
- specificities of site assessment in forest ecosystems
- objectives of the assessment
- typology of current tools and approaches
- indicators of fertility
- examples of decision-support tools
2. Flow control in forest ecosystems
- light and energy
- water
- carbon
- nutrients
3. Risk management in forests: windstorms as an example
4. Phytosociology
- phytogeography and vegetation history at the global and local scales
- physiognomic approach to vegetation
- phytosociological approach and techniques of analysis, including multivariate statistical analyses
- vegetation dynamics; intrinsic and extrinsic influences, including traditional agro-forestry-pastoral practices; progressive and regressive series
- vegetation mapping
- field surveys (4 one-day excursions) and determination of forest types.
B. Additional informations
This course includes two modules that can be combined to form two partims:
- Module 1 (15h-22.5h): fundamentals of vegetation analysis and phytosociology - 7 2-hour sessions (theoretical courses and seminars on more applied themes); practical exercises in phytosociology - 4 one-day excursions (a last one is shared with the course 'Applied soil sciences' - BIRE2104), a lab (2 hours) devoted to statistical analysis of vegetation samples;
- Module 2 (22h): site assessment, biogeochemistry of forested ecosystems, tree ecophysiology - 11 2-hour sessions.
Part A (module 1) - Phytosociology ' is mandatory for students from the following masters: BIRF (all options), BIRE (5E option) and BOE (environmental management option);
Part B (module 2) - Site assessment and biogeochemical cycles - is a required course for the master BIRF; it can be taken as electives by students from masters BIRA, BIRE and BOE.
1. Site assessment
- specificities of site assessment in forest ecosystems
- objectives of the assessment
- typology of current tools and approaches
- indicators of fertility
- examples of decision-support tools
2. Flow control in forest ecosystems
- light and energy
- water
- carbon
- nutrients
3. Risk management in forests: windstorms as an example
4. Phytosociology
- phytogeography and vegetation history at the global and local scales
- physiognomic approach to vegetation
- phytosociological approach and techniques of analysis, including multivariate statistical analyses
- vegetation dynamics; intrinsic and extrinsic influences, including traditional agro-forestry-pastoral practices; progressive and regressive series
- vegetation mapping
- field surveys (4 one-day excursions) and determination of forest types.
B. Additional informations
This course includes two modules that can be combined to form two partims:
- Module 1 (15h-22.5h): fundamentals of vegetation analysis and phytosociology - 7 2-hour sessions (theoretical courses and seminars on more applied themes); practical exercises in phytosociology - 4 one-day excursions (a last one is shared with the course 'Applied soil sciences' - BIRE2104), a lab (2 hours) devoted to statistical analysis of vegetation samples;
- Module 2 (22h): site assessment, biogeochemistry of forested ecosystems, tree ecophysiology - 11 2-hour sessions.
Part A (module 1) - Phytosociology ' is mandatory for students from the following masters: BIRF (all options), BIRE (5E option) and BOE (environmental management option);
Part B (module 2) - Site assessment and biogeochemical cycles - is a required course for the master BIRF; it can be taken as electives by students from masters BIRA, BIRE and BOE.
Teaching methods
- lectures including practical examples and active learning mini activities;
- seminars given by guest speakers (speakers from the socio-professional or scientific spheres);
- field excursions including practical learning of vegetation survey, determination of the flora and of the type of vegetation;
- supervised statistical analysis of the vegetation surveys in the computer room;
- individual reading of a scientific paper and critical analysis in groups.
Miscellaneous : Modules 1 and 2 (15h + 22.5h) constitute a mandatory 4-credit course entitled 'Forest ecology and phytosociology, partim phytosociology' for students of option S5E (Land development) within the master in environmental bioengineering and students within the master in biology (BOE).
- field excursions including practical learning of vegetation survey, determination of the flora and of the type of vegetation;
- supervised statistical analysis of the vegetation surveys in the computer room;
- individual reading of a scientific paper and critical analysis in groups.
Miscellaneous : Modules 1 and 2 (15h + 22.5h) constitute a mandatory 4-credit course entitled 'Forest ecology and phytosociology, partim phytosociology' for students of option S5E (Land development) within the master in environmental bioengineering and students within the master in biology (BOE).
Evaluation methods
Evaluation:
- Part A: Preparation and oral presentation of a phytosociological table, oral exam focused on problem solving, synthetic analysis of a problem;
- Part B: writing exam (short answers or answers based on a theoretical development)
- Part A: Preparation and oral presentation of a phytosociological table, oral exam focused on problem solving, synthetic analysis of a problem;
- Part B: writing exam (short answers or answers based on a theoretical development)
Other information
This course can be given in English.
Online resources
Moodle
Bibliography
Support : Notes de cours, transparents, site icampus. Ouvrages recommandés : Barnes, B.V., Zak, D.R., Denton, S.R., Spurr, S.H., 1998. Forestecology. 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, 774 p. Bazzaz, F.A. 1996. Plants in changing environments. Linking physiological, population, and community ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 320 p. Chapin III, F.S., Matson, P.A., Mooney, H.A. 2002. Principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology. Springer, New York, USA, 436 p. Fisher, R.F., Binkley, D. 2000. Ecology and management of forest soils. 3rd ed. Wiley, New York, 489 p. Kimmins, J.-P., 1997. Forest ecology. A foundation for sustainable management. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, USA, 596 p. Lambers, H., Chapin III, F.S., Pons, T.L. 2000. Plant physiological ecology. Corrected 2nd printing. Springer, New York, 540 p. Larcher, W. 2003. Physiological plant ecology. Ecophysiology and stress physiology of functional groups. 4th ed. Springer, Berlin, 513 p. Encadrement : Enseignant et intervenants extérieurs pour le cours magistral ; enseignant, technicien et assistant pour les TP.
Faculty or entity
AGRO
