Print Syllabus

Syllabus

BI1474 Ecology for landscape architects, 15.0 Credits

Ekologi för landskapsarkitekter

Subjects

Landscape Architecture Biology Interdisciplinarity

Education cycle

Bachelor’s level

Advanced study in the main field

First cycle, has less than 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Bachelor’s level (G1F)

Grading scale

Language

Swedish

Prior knowledge

In addition to general entry requirements, the student must have:


- 6 ECTS in Soil Science
- 30 ECTS in Landscape Architecture

Objectives

The course aims to provide knowledge of basic ecological concepts and questions, as well as knowledge of applications and approaches relevant to the professional practice of landscape architects.

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Describe different perspectives on the human relationship with other species and how this affects societal values.
• Explain fundamental concepts and processes related to population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology, and soil biology.
• Explain the significance of natural and anthropogenic environmental changes for ecological processes and biodiversity.
• Design nature-based solutions with a focus on soil–plant systems.
• Use strategies and tools to create and preserve ecological values and functions.

Content

The course integrates basic theory on ecological processes and principles with a broad orientation in applications and approaches relevant to landscape architects working at various scales and stages.

The landscape architect’s role in ecological issues is contextualized through awareness of different perspectives on the human relationship with other species. This relationship is problematized in terms of societal values, regulations, and tools. Threats to biodiversity and ecological processes are discussed both nationally and globally.

The course introduces fundamental ecological principles, including natural selection, organisms’ adaptations to their environments, and population density, distribution, and growth. It also covers energy and matter flows in ecosystems, focusing on how these influence and are influenced by the structure and composition of plant and animal communities.

These foundational concepts and principles form a basis for understanding the role of the landscape in ecological processes. Both natural and human-induced processes and disturbances affecting plant and animal communities over time are addressed. Furthermore, the course discusses how landscape architects can contribute to maintaining and enhancing ecological functions at different scales. The concept of nature-based solutions is made concrete through reference projects and shorter applied exercises focusing on soil–plant interactions and how organisms and various factors regulate decomposition and humus formation.

The course provides an introduction to landscape ecology and examines how the composition of different landscape elements affects population sizes, species persistence, and biodiversity. The basic principles are linked to urban planning and to understanding sites within a landscape-ecological context.

The teaching includes lectures, literature studies, short applied exercises, and reviews of reference projects.

Grading form

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Formats and requirements for examination

Approved written examination, active participation in seminars and presentations, and approved assignments.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Responsible department

Department of Ecology

Cooperating departments: