| Responsible Department | Forest & Landscape
90 % Department of Large Animal Sciences 10 % | ||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | MSc. 1 year | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | MSc | ||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination and oral examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: Students will be provided a written assignment based on a case. The assignments will be distributed and must be submitted electronically. During the oral exam students will be asked to analyse one or two key issues in a broader agroforestry development context. Weight: The final mark will be based on a total evaluation of the two exams (50%+50%) 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | Students must successfully complete at least 75% of the module activities in order to participate in the exam. | ||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Teaching is primarily based on regular classroom sessions. Teaching material , questions and solutions to questions will be distributed during classes and uploaded on KU e-learning system Absalon. Selected parts may be taught and discussed via e-learning | ||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 2 Week Structure: A | ||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | It is recommended that the student possesses a basic understanding of natural resources management | ||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||
| Agroforestry framework, definition and history Agroforestry interaction with microclimate and water. Agroforestry systems, classifications and technical operation Agroforestry species (crops, trees and animals), roles and functions of different components and criteria for selection and improvement Pest and disease control and management in agroforestry systems Domestic animals and fodder in agroforestry systems Productivity, nutrient cycles and energy flow in agroforestry systems Socioeconomic and development cross cutting issues, tenure, gender, poverty and adoptebility | |||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||
| The course will use a mixture of classroom sessions and e-learning. Basic concepts and cross cutting issues will be discussed in connection with theoretical exercises. Case studies will be used to analyse output and development of systems. The teaching is aimed at an interactive form in which students contribute significantly to discussions and presentations | |||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||
| The objective of the course is to provide students an insight into the overall options, limitations and constrains pertaining to small complex production systems with a large tree component under a wide range of conditions with special emphasis on the tropics. The course should enable students to relate to tropical agroforestry systems under different bio-physical, socio-economic and political settings and suggest development strategies to improve outputs of the systems By the end of the course the students are expected to be able to: Knowledge  Describe positive and negative effects of trees on physical (e.g. soil, microclimate, water balance) and biological (e.g. crops, animals, and pests) factors in different systems, climates and topography.  List major crop and agroforestry trees and their interaction in agroforestry systems List major types of pest and diseases in tropical agriculture  Describe how interaction may change with seasons and with growth and development of trees  Describe relevant technical and management operations, which can be used to improve total yield, food security, financial security and other relevant outputs of the AF system Describe the interaction between livestock and the biophysical environment in AF systems  Describe the principle of nutrient cycling and energy flow in small subsistence systems Skills  Analyse and describe the synergetic, complementary and competitive relations between different species in small complex systems consisting of several crop, animal and tree species  Analyse the framework of biophysical conditions in the main types of tropical systems (humid lowland, dry areas and highlands tropics) and its influence and limitation on agricultural systems.  Explain key socio-economic constraints and limitations in relation to present conditions and adoptability of improved practices, for example under different economic, political, historical and cultural settings  Analyse quantitative and qualitative outputs of agroforestry systems in relation to investment and production cost, seasonality, market and domestic need Competences  Recommend relevant agroforestry interventions to meet /cope with / overcome short and long term food problems and production constraints  Predict possible implementation / adoption obstacles in relation to socioeconomic factors  Predict possible areas of conflicting interests in relation to various types of agroforestry interventions under different settings | |||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||
| Tentatively: Nair, P.K.R. 1993: An introduction to Agroforestry (depending on availability from publisher) Additional literature will be compiled into a compendium. Supplementary material such as lecture notes, exercises and cases will be distributed during classes or electronically | |||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||
| Lars Holger Schmidt, lsc@life.ku.dk, Forest & Landscape Denmark/Arboretum, Phone: 353-31838 | |||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||
| Work Load | |||||||||||||||
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