Environmental Studies

The course focuses on the integration between environment and living organisms, and how these shape biological communities as well as the dynamics involved. Attention is placed on the complexity of factors involved in the sustainable management of human interventions. Students gain an overall understanding of the state of the environment, its resources and biodiversity, and the problems stemming from human impact. In addition, students acquire notions regarding the conservation of species and ecosystems at risk. Topics covered: 1) the cultural roots of ecology, the aims of ecology, the levels of ecological organization, temporal and spatial scales, ecology as a science, ecological methods and tools; 2) abiotic environment, climate, aquatic environment, and terrestrial environment; 3) interactions between organisms and the environment, principles of evolutionary ecology, adaptations of organisms to the environment, and life histories 4) ecology of populations, population growth, the study of demography, exponential and logistic growth models, carrying capacity and intraspecific competition, the concept of metapopulation; 5) biotic interactions, competition, predation, facilitation and other positive interactions, direct and indirect interactions; 6) ecological communities, community structure, the concept of biodiversity and diversity indices, ecological successions, disturbance and patch dynamics, factors in maintaining diversity, the role of competition, disturbance and environmental heterogeneity; 7) ecology of ecosystems, the ecosystem concept, flows of energy in ecosystems, chains and food webs, decomposition, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity and functioning, ecosystem functions and services; 8) introduction to conservation biology, identifying and estimating the value of ecosystem services; 9) threats to biological diversity, habitat fragmentation and loss, habitat degradation and pollution, overexploitation of natural resources, invasive species, urbanization and homogenization; 10) vulnerability and conservation of populations, species vulnerability and conservation status, biodiversity hotspots, minimum viable population, reintroduction of populations, conservation in situ and ex situ, successful conservation stories; 11) vulnerability and conservation of habitats, habitat vulnerability and conservation status, parks and protected areas, habitat restoration and novel habitats, spatial planning and sustainable development, successful conservation stories. Assessment is based on a written exam. International students may elect to take the oral examination in English.

This course covers the science and technology of geographical information systems (GIS). GIS science focuses on ways to describe and represent geographical phenomena and explain geographical patterns and processes. GIS technology focuses on data modeling, databases, map visualization, and web applications. Students engage in laboratory sessions and participate in a field trip, where they have the opportunity to apply GIS to solve real-world problems.

Environmental economic geography takes a geographical approach to the interface between production, consumption, and environmental impact. In particular, to evaluate strategies for dealing with municipal and industrial wastes, scrap, and by-products that reduce the environmental impact of production and consumption.

This course explores the Earth’s past and present climates, from billion year to hundred year time scales. The course also deals with the wide range of causes of past climates and of climate change. Climate episodes discussed may include: Precambrian Snowball Earth, Gondwanan Glaciations, the Mesozoic Hothouse, global cooling over the last 20 million years and increasing aridity in Australia over the last 5 million years. Other topics include the record of regular Ice Age cycles, abrupt climate change, global and regional climate variability of the past 1000 years, and natural and human factors contributing to modern climate change. Climate ‘proxy’ records such as ice cores, tree rings, corals, sedimentary records and historical documents are used to identify more recent changes in the Australian region.

This course examines major environmental issues and challenges New Zealand faces today. The course highlights policy and management frameworks in place to address these environmental issues. Students also critically appraise how well current policy and management mechanisms achieve the goal of environmental sustainability.

This course introduces competing concepts and arguments in environmental politics. The course examines the ways in which political and economic institutions, regimes, culture, and norms interact with environmental outcomes at local, regional, and global levels; the roles different actors and institutions play in global environmental governance; and the interrelationship between environmental change and political action. It begins with the most basic and important questions: why does the environment matter? What causes environmental change? Why do environmental problems cause political controversies? Is there a mainstream environmental politics? Do the environment and economy form a zero-sum game? Is the environment solely a concern for the wealthy? Finally, which type of government best lends itself to resolving environmental problems? The second half builds atop this foundation, investigating the two most significant environmental problems: climate change and the biodiversity crisis. What caused these problems to arise, what is being done about them, and is it enough? Finally, the course examines the “intimate” environment: the places we live and the nature we put in our bodies. Through the study of urban environments and food we come to understand how the environment is not something detached from human life (spatially or temporally); rather, it is the very basis of our life, today and at every moment.

This course provides an introduction to environmental economics and is developed for students of non-economic study programs, but is also suitable as an introduction to environmental economics for students of economic study programs. This course demonstrates how environmental problems can be approached and analyzed using economic theory. Students learn how economics provides guidance to address serious environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion, and air and water pollution at different scales (e.g. global and regional scales). This course establishes the foundations of environmental economics. Students learn how markets function, under which conditions markets fail, and how market failures can give rise to a misallocation of resources causing environmental problems. These insights are then used to analyze how policy interventions can correct market failure and enhance social welfare. After successful completion of this course, students are able to explain the theoretical foundations of environmental economics; explain key concepts, strengths, and limitations of environmental economic analysis (e.g. sustainability, efficiency, Pareto optimality, market failure, externalities); analyze important environmental problems (e.g. pollution) from an economic point of view; understand and explain key economic instruments and policy measures for solving economic problems (e.g. taxes, subsidies, tradable permits) on an international scale; apply economic concepts to a specific case in the domain of environmental economics; compile and structure information about a topic in environmental economics to write a scientific essay.

This course offers students a unique insight in the linkages between people's recreational use of nature and the management and planning of nature areas. The course deals with practical and theoretical aspects of planning, management, and governance of outdoor recreation. Students learn, from a management point of view, how to deal with visitors and users of nature areas based on both theoretical and practical management related knowledge. Outdoor recreation is high on today's policy, research, and planning agenda because planning authorities have focused on the link between outdoor recreation, active living, and public health. Furthermore, opportunities for outdoor recreation are an integrated part of forest and afforestation policy, municipal landscape planning, urban green space planning, national agricultural policy, and nature policy. Moreover, access to nature and green/blue spaces with opportunities for outdoor recreation plays a key role in peoples' choice of settlement, and development of outdoor recreation opportunities contribute to rural development by delivering economic benefits to rural societies. The following themes are covered: public accessibility, nature protection, conflicts between user groups, zoning and multifunctional planning approaches, public participation and collaboration between stakeholders, management of outdoor recreation facilities, monitoring and mapping of outdoor recreation including usages of interviews, surveys, visitor counting, GIS, GPS, and App's in order to support planning and management of outdoor recreation. The course has an international focus and include examples and cases from Denmark and other countries.