Course description
In this one-year course, you have the opportunity to learn about how trees, people and agriculture can be combined in sustainably managed farms, forests and landscapes. There is a long tradition of agroforestry practice in many parts of the world, but recently it has become a major focus in international development and is now at the forefront of innovation in natural resource management. Bangor is a world leader in agroforestry and our graduates are either already employed when they start the course or have a strong track record in finding employment within the sector.
The course equips you to deal with the principal forces driving change in farming and forestry, from thinking globally about issues like climate change and carbon trading to dealing with practical issues of how to manage trees on farms at a local level. This involves taking a human perspective to land use management while emphasising an ecological approach in agriculture. The course has a world focus and the University has specific links with agroforestry organisations where project work can be done in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as an active programme in Wales.
Description
You will study a selection of the following modules some of which are alternative choices.
Agroforestry Systems provides an introduction to agroforestry practices around the world, the principles that underpin them and the roles that they play within farming and forest systems.
Agroforestry trees and their management is an advanced technical module covering:
-environmental requirements of trees;
-the evaluation of tree resources; the biology, domestication and management of multipurpose trees;
-silvopastoralism and its management implications;
-monitoring criteria and indicators and the socio-economic benefits of agroforestry.
Natural Resource Management covers ecosystem services and the millennium ecosystem assessment; systems concepts and the sustainable livelihoods framework; participatory modelling of natural resource management issues. It includes field visits and practicals in landscape visualisation and how to incorporate local knowledge in natural resource management.
Introduction to Social Research for Natural Resource Managers provides students with ability to design, conduct and analyse social research focused on natural resource management issues using both participatory and traditional approaches.
Forest Ecology covers general principles relevant across a wide range of biomes, but primarily natural forests with high biodiversity, that are dominated by natural dynamic processes. Its focus is on the methods used to assess plant biodiversity, stand structure and dynamics, and analyse and interpret the resulting data.
Approaches to social research covers a range of topics relevant to ,designing, conducing and reporting social research. Topics includes developing the research design, quantitative, qualitative and action research approaches, data collection techniques, complementarities between action focused, participatory and traditional extractive techniques and working in a research team.
Crop Production in the tropics provides a background to sustainable agricultural production primarily for smallholder farmers, and covers basic plant science, crop production in rainfed systems, agroecology, and production in small-scale irrigation systems.
Tropical crops and land husbandry considers crop types, cropping systems, the bio-physical factors which influence their distribution (climate, soils), the management of productive resources (soil and water), and how each of these can be optimised whilst causing minimal environmental degradation.
Conservation Biology presents students with the key concepts which underpin the conservation of populations, species and habitats. It considers the conservation and management of biological resources in their wider context, and appreciates the interactions between natural and social systems.
Evidence Based Practice in Conservation reviews the problems of accessing and applying scientific evidence in a policy and management context. It addresses the concept of systematic review of evidence and the practicalities of synthesising data from disparate studies and communicating the results to policy and management community.
Research Skills and GIS. This module includes a series of seminars on the use of information sources, experimental design and statistical analysis, and practical classes on the use of GIS (geographical information systems). Students are also required to prepare a research plan and for the dissertation they will undertake in Part 2 of the programme. The plan is written in consultation with the student’s supervisor, and includes a literature review, a statement of objectives and descriptions of the methods to be used for data collection and analysis.
Field Course / Study Tour. Details of the course vary from year to year,but it is always based on visits to practical agroforestry systems managed for multiple purposes in both the public and private sectors.
Students meet land owners and managers, and are encouraged to engage in discussion with the
