LSC-30076 - Module Specification School of Life Sciences Faculty of Natural Sciences
For academic year: 2020/21 Last Updated: 24 January 2021
LSC-30076 - Plant Science and Sustainability
Coordinator: Thomast Torode
School Office: 01782 734414
Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Co-requisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Barred Combinations
None
Description for 2020/21
Plants are fundamental to all life on Earth. Plants harness energy from the sun to create matter that is the basis of most terrestrial food chains and produce oxygen as a by-product that we breathe making them the lungs of the Earth. Plants have evolved into the world¿s biggest and longest-lived organisms, producing innumerable resources (from foods to medicines to fuel) and are an integral and enduring part of rural and urban landscapes. This module takes an applied and integrated approach, examining forests, agriculture and green spaces from the plant science, ecology and sustainable land management perspectives. You will explore some of the big questions of today, such as how we can feed a growing population without sacrificing ecosystem functioning. By doing this module you will develop verbal and written communication skills by participating in class debates and producing materials for different target audiences. Content will be delivered through a mix of lectures and tutorials sessions, including guest speakers and site visits in and around the campus environment to give you first-hand experience of the issues discussed.
To understand how plant science can be applied to `green¿ production processes in order to meet the global challenges, whilst addressing environmental protection and sustainability issues.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Explain the fundamentals of how plant science can be applied to a range of green production processes: 1,2Evaluate how plant-human interactions have altered green production facilities over time, and the impact this has on the trade-off between global supply and environmental protection: 1,2Evaluate the ways in which plants are responding to global change, such as pollution and climate change, and explain how these can be mitigated: 1,2Critically review a specific forest or food production system in terms of its contribution to ecosystem services, sustainability and/or carbon balance: 1,2
Study hours
Scheduled learning:18 hours of lectures10 hours of tutorials / site visitsIndependent study:120 hours of private study of which 40h spent on the in-course assessment2 hour exam
School Rules
None
Description of Module Assessment