NR 378 Forest Carbon & Communities
Spring 2008
Meeting Times: Wednesday afternoons, 1:25-5:30 (ending time variable)
Instructor Contact/Office Hours:
Cecilia Danks (Cecilia.Danks@uvm.edu), Office: Bittersweet, 656-0185; Call 656-4055 for
office hours Mon & Thur afternoons.
Jennifer Jenkins (Jennifer.Jenkins@uvm.edu), Office: Gund Institute, 617 Main Street, room
105C, Phone: 656-2953
Deane Wang (deane.wang@uvm.edu), Office: Marsh Life Sci.. 128A Phone: 656-XXXX
Class website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdanks/NR378-FCC/
Class Wiki: http://www.uvm.edu/~cbfclass/wiki/
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about integrating natural & social sciences in the context of a contemporary
applied natural resource issues: climate change and forest communities, human &
natural.
2. Increase understanding of the role of forests in climate change, with emphasis on the
northern forest region
3. Increase understanding of the policy & market tools for addressing climate change, with
a focus on those targeting forest carbon.
4. Increase understanding of small-scale & community-based forestry in the northern
forest region, with emphasis on current activities, opportunities & constraints regarding
forestry activities that affect forest carbon & participation in emerging carbon markets.
Functional Goals:
1. Refine students' ability to work collaboratively on an interdisciplinary research team
in which each member actively contributes their knowledge & skills.
2. Develop skills in writing a jointly authored journal article that contributes to the
evolving knowledge about how to address climate change in equitable & effective
ways.
Course Description:
The faculty will introduce students to the topic & help them shape a researchable question,
target journal, and methodology. Students will take responsibility for conducting an appropriate
literature review and collecting and analyzing data. Writing will be divided among small
groups or pairs of students. Iterative drafts will be shared & critiqued by both students &
faculty. Guest speakers will provide contemporary background and information that might not
yet be captured in published literature. Field trips scattered throughout the course will give
students a better understanding of community forestry efforts in Vermont as well as some of
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the people involved. We generally meet for two hours in the classroom each Wed afternoon,
but have set aside the whole afternoon for occasional field trips and to have time available for
small group meetings among course participants. We may share speakers and trips with other
grad classes.
Course Topics:
With focus on Vermont & the northeastern US, but drawing on international experience we will
learn together about:
Forests, Carbon & Climate
Climate Change Policy & Carbon Markets
Forest Communities & Community-based Forestry
We’ll integrate these to address:
Forest Carbon and Community-based Forestry
Equity and Ecological Issues Forest Carbon Markets
Readings:
A pre-course reading is assigned for over the winter break. Read over an excellent Wilderness
Society report and be prepared to discuss the main points on the first day. It can be found
online in pdf format at:
http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/ForestCarbon-ClimateChange.pdf
We will be jointly compiling a reader over the semester as we jointly review the literature.
Students will pay about $15 into a pot & we’ll establish a photocopying number that is paid by
that pot. We will photocopy key readings for each other and/or link to readings from course
website. These plans will be discussed the first day.
Provisional Schedule:
Date
Jan 17
Topic
Getting started
Jan 24
Defining a
Researchable
Question.
What do we still need
to know?
Plotting Our Course.
Activities
1. Course Intro, logistics, intros of class members
2. discuss winter break reading,
3. lay out concept, plan & schedule for producing a
journal article;
4. consider/brainstorm questions and journals;
5. plan lit review activity: assign topics for pairs of
students to research & present over next few weeks
6. consider Focus the Nation options
1. Students present their findings from Assignment
1.their research findings
2. How do these papers inform/shape: lit review,
research questions, choice of journal?
3. Logistics of working collectively – class wiki or
webspace
4. Prep for Focus the Nation
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Jan 31
Feb 6
Focus the Nation
Forests and Carbon
Feb 13
Guest Speaker: Bill
Keeton
Community-based
forestry & carbon
markets
Feb 20
Feb 27
Develop research
approach & assign
work groups
Mar 5
Mar 19
Field trip or guest
speaker
Research Progress
Mar 26
Research Progress
Apr 2
Field trip or guest
speaker
Research & Writing
Progress
Apr 9
TBD.
1. First 2-3 pairs of students present their research
findings
2. How do these papers inform/shape: lit review,
research questions, choice of journal?
3. How do we start compiling a list of players (esp.
retailers/wholesalers/aggregators & institutional
purchasers) to study/survey further?
4. Start a list of what we want to ask them
Forest Management and Carbon
1. Next 2-3 pairs of students present their research
findings
2. How do these papers inform/shape: lit review,
research questions, choice of journal?
3. How do we start compiling a list of communitybased forestry initiatives we might want contact
directly?
4. Start a list of what we want to ask them
1. Discuss & Finalize research questions
2. Choose a couple of target journals
3. Discuss additional lit review needed
4. Draft interview guides
5. Develop sampling frames & approaches
6. Assign work groups & clarify assignments
Community forestry and carbon OR
The State, UVM & Forest Carbon Markets
1. Each team shares what they’ve found thus far
2. Group problem-solving for any issues that might
need it
3. Discuss data analysis
4. More literature?
5. Clarifying next steps
1. Each team shares what they’ve found thus far
2. Group problem-solving for any issues that might
need it
3. Revisit questions in light of findings: What kernels
of wisdom do we want to communicate most?
4. Assess literature review – do we cover what we
need to?
5. Outline papers and clarify who will draft each
section
1. Review drafts of each section
a. What needs additional info?
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b. Is it hanging together?
2. Clarify changes to be made by next week
3. What do we still not know: a future research
agenda
Apr 16
Apr 23
Apr 30
Field trip or guest
speaker
Writing for
Publication
Refining – Ready for
submission?
Review of full draft
Review of near final version
Celebrate all the hard work!
Additional Information you should know:
ACCESS: In keeping with University policy, any student with a disability who needs
academic/classroom accommodations should contact ACCESS. ACCESS coordinates reasonable
accommodations for students with documented disabilities. They are located at A170 Living/Learning
Center, and can be reached by phone at 802-656-7753, or by emailing access@uvm.edu. Visit their
website at http://www.uvm.edu/access.
Code of Academic Integrity:
See: http://www.uvm.edu/%7Euvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.html
For the full policy at UVM
All academic work (e.g., homework assignments, written and oral reports, use of library materials,
creative projects, performances, in-class and take-home exams, extra-credit projects, research, theses
and dissertations) must satisfy the following four standards of academic integrity:
1. All ideas, arguments, and phrases, submitted without attribution to other sources, must be the
creative product of the student. Thus, all text passages taken from the works of other authors must be
properly cited. The same applies to paraphrased text, opinions, data, examples, illustrations, and all
other creative work. Violations of this standard constitute plagiarism.
2. All experimental data, observations, interviews, statistical surveys, and other information collected
and reported as part of academic work must be authentic. Any alteration, e.g., the removal of statistical
outliers must be clearly documented. Data must not be falsified in any way. Violations of this standard
constitute fabrication.
3. Students may only collaborate within the limits prescribed by their instructors. Students may not
complete any portion of an assignment, report, project, experiment or exam for another student.
Students may not claim as their own work any portion of an assignment, report, project, experiment or
exam that was completed by another student, even with that other student’s knowledge and consent.
Students may not provide information about an exam (or portions of an exam) to another student
without the authorization of the instructor. Students may not seek or accept information provided about
an exam (or portions of an exam) from another student without the authorization of the instructor.
Violations of this standard constitute collusion.
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4. Students must adhere to the guidelines provided by their instructors for completing coursework.
For example, students must only use materials approved by their instructor when completing an
assignment or exam. Students may not present the same (or substantially the same) work for more than
one course without obtaining approval from the instructor of each course. Students must adhere to all
library course reserves regulations and refrain from mutilating library material, which are designed to
allow students access to course materials. Violations of this standard constitute cheating.
When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult the course
instructor.
A related set of policies are listed under:
Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/studentcode.html
Also see Our Common Ground statement of values at UVM
http://www.uvm.edu/about_uvm/?Page=values.html
Religious Holidays
Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in
writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious
holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit students who miss work for the purpose of
religious observance to make up this work.
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