SYLLABUS
COURSE TITLE
ECOLOGY AND MENSURATION OF TEMPERATE
FORESTS
BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE
FACULTY/INSTITUTE
COURSE CODE
DEGREE PROGRAMME
FIELD OF STUDY
DEGREE LEVEL
BIOLOGY
FORMA STUDIÓW/STUDY
MODE
I AND II
FULL-TIME
Lectures; Field study; Workshop and seminars;
Individual meetings
SUMMER
ANDRZEJ BOBIEC
COURSE FORMAT
YEAR AND SEMESTER
NAME OF THE TEACHER
COURSE OBJECTIVES

explain and be able to distinguish major factors responsible for the forest ecosystem
dynamics;
 discern and explain the meaning of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the
forest ecosystem;
 explain and be able to perform/set out an inventory, observation, monitoring and field
experiment;
 teach to organize efficiently the research scheme, including reliable data forms;
 develop/ improve skills necessary for efficient data storing and management;
 develop/ improve skills necessary for independent data interpretation
 develop/ improve skills in the efficient team work of field research, and in performing
collaborative work on data
PREREQUISITES
Good communication, reading and writing English;
High school ecology level; basics in MS Excel spreadsheet
KNOWLEDGE:
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will improve their knowledge of natural processes
and the role of factors responsible for the forest dynamics,
structure and stand species composition;
will be able to distinguish ecologically meaningful forest
ecosystem parameters
SKILLS:
They will acquire knowledge necessary to perform a
scientifically viable research;
They will be able to collect, collate and perform a rough
ecological interpretation of the data
SOCIAL COMPETENCES:
Students will be able to undertake efficient team work in the
field and share among themselves the data management,
interpretation and demonstration tasks
COURSE ORGANISATION –LEARNING FORMAT AND NUMBER OF HOURS
Lectures: 10 hrs
Field study: 3-days (24 hrs)
Indoor workshop and seminars: 20 hrs
Individual meetings: 1 hr
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course has been designed to introduce the students to the problems related to the forest
ecology with respect of data acquisition. In particular we will consider the following topics:
- Forest habitats – review and ecological characteristics
- What data variables do we acquire? Continuous vs. discrete, numerical and interval vs.
nominal and rank variables, dummy variables
- Forest soil and ground layers, undergrowth, and tree canopy basic assessment methods:
phytosociological approach, phyto-indication, tree and stand mensuration, dead wood
assessment
- Sampling schemes: arbitral, systematic, random, stratified; sampling points, lines
(transects) and plots (areas)
- Preliminary data management and analysis with MS Excel
- Spatial component: GPS, GIS in forest research
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Lecture, Team field work (observations, assessments,
questionnaire), Discussion, Data management and
preliminary analyses, Reporting and presenting results
REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS Attendance is expected in all lectures, field study, and
indoor workshop/seminars
Assessment for this course will be based on the results
of the final project carried out in small groups/teams
as well as on the theoretical knowledge acquired from
reading and lectures.
GRADING SYSTEM
Warm-up quiz
10%
Theoretical assessment
20
Final project
70
TOTAL STUDENT WORKLOAD
NEEDED TO ACHIEVE EXPECTED
LEARNING OUTCOMES EXPRESSED
IN TIME AND ECTS CREDIT POINTS
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
INTERNSHIP
MATERIALS
Grading scale: >50-60%
>60-70
>70-80
>80-90
>90
Lectures:
10 hrs
Field study:
24 hrs
Indoor wrkp:
20 hrs
Individual:
1 hr
Homework:
50 hrs
In total:
105 hrs 4 ECTS
English
n.a.
PRIMARY OR REQUIRED BOOKS/READINGS:


Allaby M (2008) Temperate forests. Facts On Line, New
York
Newton AC (2007) Forest ecology and conservation. A
handbook of techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford
SUPPLEMENTAL OR OPTIONAL BOOKS/READINGS:
 Bobiec A (2005) Old trees and decaying wood in
forest ecosystems of Poland. „Old Wood.” A toolkit
for participants.
http://oldwood.eu.interia.pl/OW_07.pdf