Advanced physical geography

Teacher(s)

Van Oost Kristof; Vanacker Veerle;

Language

English

Main themes

Several major scientific debates in the field of physical geography will be presented, such as: - The role of steep, mountainous watersheds in the sediment flux from the continents to the ocean - Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles - The effect of soil erosion on primary productivity - Deforestation and soil erosion: an ecological disaster in the tropics? - Deforestation and historical erosion: lessons for the future? The students will form different groups that will address one of these predefined topics. The course is organized around three modules: i) Lectures, presentation of the basic concepts and scientific background of the major scientific debates. ii) Seminars, each group will communicate a geographical analyses of his topic based on the reading of scientific papers. iii) Group work, each group will use different techniques for the spatial analyses of the interaction between deforestation, soil erosion, global sediment fluxes and impacts on biogeochemical cycles. Each group will present a report of ca. 4000 words.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	The main objective of this course is to develop a basic knowledge of recent developments in environmental sciences that are relevant to physical geography research. Furthermore, this course will also serve as a platform to work with a range of methods and techniques for spatial analysis which are frequently used in Earth Sciences. Practical/Knowledge skills: - An awareness of the diversity of approaches and contemporary debates in the field of physical geography - An ability to identify research questions and develop a coherent scientific strategy to analyse research problems in the field of physical geography - An ability to develop a scientific reasoning based on the theoretical background presented in the course - An ability to communicate a geographical analysis using the appropriate scientific language Personal skills: - to stimulate an aptitude for scientific debate in relation to the main scientific challenges and technologies used in Earth Sciences - An ability to analyse scientific publications rigorously and critically - An awareness of the contemporary research questions in physical geography and their general, local and regional context

Content

Several major scientific debates in the field of physical geography will be presented, such as:

• The role of steep, mountainous watersheds in the sediment flux from the continents to the ocean
• Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles
• The effect of soil erosion on primary productivity
• Deforestation and soil erosion: an ecological disaster in the tropics?
• Deforestation and historical erosion: lessons for the future?

The students will form different groups that will address one of these predefined topics. These topics will be used to define and apply the principles of scientific research/communication/debate and will serve as a showcase to illustrate the diversity of geographical research
The main objectives of this course are:
• To introduce current scientific debates in Earth System Science that are relevant to physical geography research
• To develop an integrated vision on physical geography that links the different sub-disciplines
• To develop a coherent scientific strategy to analyze research problems in the field of physical geography and to communicate the results
• To stimulate an aptitude for scientific debate in relation to the main scientific challenges and technologies used in Earth Sciences

Teaching methods

The course is organised into five learning activities:
(1) Lectures, (2) Reading assignments, (3) Research exercise, (4) Seminars and (5) Feedback including practical and methodological support. Each group will present a scientific report of ca. 4000 words.

Evaluation methods

At the end of this course, the student should be able:
- To illustrate and compare the diversity of approaches and contemporary research questions in the field of physical geography
- To analyse scientific publications rigorously and critically
- To develop a scientific reasoning based a geographical analysis and the theoretical background acquired during the curriculum
- To communicate a scientific study (both written and oral)
- To describe and understand the contemporary research questions in physical geography and their general, local and regional context
The evaluation will be based on the scientific communications (2 oral presentations and 1 report, 80% of total score). The course aims to stimulate critical thinking and participation in the debates will account for 20% of the total score.
The evaluation criteria will be based on the competences mentioned above. The students will receive continuous feedback (both personal and in group) during this course.

Other information

Requirements:
GEO1342 - Geographical Information Systems
GEO1331 - Géomorphologie

Online resources

https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/user/view.php?id=452905&course=9080

Bibliography

The scientific articles that are discussed during the course are available through DIAL and moodle.

Teaching materials

• matériel sur moodle

Faculty or entity

GEOG