| Responsible Department | Department of Agriculture and Ecology
64 % Forest & Landscape 18 % Department of Agriculture and Ecology 18 % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 2 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 15 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination No aid allowed Description of Examination: Evaluation of course report. Oral examination on course curriculum within chosen families. If a group report is chosen each student has to indicate her/his contribution. Presentation of Field Course Report Weight: 25% Course report 25% Oral examination 25% Field Course report 25% Presentation of Field Course report 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | Project report completed and Field course report completed | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, practicals, local excursions and three-week field excursion to Guatemala | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 2 Week Structure: B Block 2 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | max. 30 - min. 15 Definite confirmation of enrolment is necessary by the end of the ordinary registration period. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||||
| The various genera will be reviewed in groups according to use/type: Timbers, cereals, pseudo-cereals, root and tuber crops, pulses, oil plants, sugar plants, vegetables, stimulant (incl. medicinal)plants, spices, fruits, technical plants, forages, and the most common pantropical weeds. Also commonly used ornamentals will be studied. The course will be a necessary prerequisite to all who expect to be working with tropical agriculture, forestry, agro-forestry, horticulture, animal husbandry in the tropics and food and nutritional technology. Students contemplating a career within agencies or institutions in the developing countries will find the course to be of relevance. The final three-week field course to Guatemala conducted in collaboration with the assistance of local colleagues from Univ. San Carlos de Guatemala cover a wide variation of ecological environments, agricultural systems, natural vegetation types as well as urban parks. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| During the initial two thirds of the course lectures reviewing the syllabus and one weekly tutorial will be conducted. During the final third of the course the participants will be expected to work in groups with subjects/problems of their own choice resulting in the presentation of a report. The course will be concluded by an oral examination in the most important genera. The course aims to provide a thorough knowledge of an individually chosen number of plant families equal to approx. 60 textbook pages. The relevant families may be identified according to agricultural, forestry or horticultural interest. During the course time allotted for lectures and tutorial will be used for a combination of group work with supervision/instruction within the chosen number of plant families and in preparation of the course report. In the group work dried/live plant material, textbooks, floras, reference books as well as internet site and other illustrative material will be used. For the oral exam both the individually chosen plant families as well as the course report will be included in the examination requirements. A single mark for the combined evaluation of oral examination and the course report will be given. Field trips to the Botanical Garden will be included. During the introductory field course to Guatemala (1/3 of the course) excursions in combination with on-site lectures reviewing the multidisciplinary aspects of the different soils, crops and production systems will be conducted. In addition, field exercises with supervision/instruction in study groups - according to common research field - will form an integrated part of the daily work. During the last third of the course the participants will be expected to work in groups with subjects/problems prepared by the lecturers resulting in the presentation of a report which will conclude this element of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||
| Learning outcome The overall learning outcome of is to provide students with the necessary skills and competences through both theoretical as well as in-situ practical experiences to study tropical agriculture, forestry, horticulture, crop protection in the tropics, tropical plant pathology, animal husbandry, tropical landscape architecture or other tropical and Third World subjects. Knowledge: - of tropical plants of agronomic, forestry and horticultural importance, and the specific utilised parts of each plant - of selected tropical plant families and their origin and ecology - of the correct scientific and English names of tropical plants Skills Comprehends the causal connections of abiotic/biotic ecological factors in tropical regions Comprehends adequate botanical/ecological knowledge of tropical plants as a prerequisite to study and/or work with cultivation, breeding and technological problems within the fields of agriculture, forestry, horticulture incl. crop protection, and animal husbandry in the tropics Competences Is aware of: - tropical plants as a genetic resource and the importance of maintaining tropical biodiversity - can reflect on problems and risks in relation to development of tropical regions - can identify problems in sustainable tropical plant production, can respond, reflect, and is able to discuss the choice of preferable crops | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||||
| Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A. & Seberg, O. 2007. Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Holm, L., Doll, J., Holm, E., Pancho, J., & Herberger, J. (1997): World Weeds - Natural Histories & Distrubution. John Wiley & Sons, New York Kricher, J. 1997. A neotropical companion. Princeton University Press; and literature from the relevant prerequisite courses. Rehm, S. & Espig, G. (1991): The Cultivated Plants of the Tropics and Subtropics. Verlag Josef Margraf. Skerman, PI, Cameron, D.G. & Riveros, F. (1990): Tropical forage legumes. 2nd ed. FAO Plant Production Series No. 2. Fao, Rome. Skerman, PI. & Reveros, F. (1990): Tropical grasses. FAO Plant Production Series No. 23. Fao, Rome. Soerianegara, I. & Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (1993): Timber trees: Major commercial timbers. PROSEA vol. 5(1). Pudoc, Wageningen. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marten Sørensen, ms@life.ku.dk, Department of Agriculture and Ecology/Section of Botany, Phone: 353-32815 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Fee | |||||||||||||||||||
| Note partipants must expect to cover the cost of intercontinental transport and accommodation | |||||||||||||||||||
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