OEKB301361 Farmland ecology

Type
Seminar
Semester hours
1
Lecturer (assistant)
Spießberger, Magdalena , Zaller, Johann , Frank, Thomas , Bruckner, Alexander
Organisation
Zoology
Offered in
Wintersemester 2025/26
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

The course will be held as a "classroom discussion".
An introductory session with a lecture covering the following topics: soil ecology in agricultural landscapes; biodiversity; invasive species and ecosystem services; global change; ecotoxicology and wildlife.
Depending on the number of students, discussion rounds will take place over two or more half-days.
Students will discuss and analyze key ecological, economic, and societal aspects of controversial issues in the field of Farmland Ecology (e.g., the impact of the return of large carnivores on agricultural areas).
One or more topics will be selected by vote. Students will then be randomly assigned roles by the course instructors, representing different interests or viewpoints that they are to adopt during the discussions.
At the end, a final debriefing session will take place in which each role's facts and opinions will be summarized.
Previous knowledge expected

No
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

1. Improvement of communication skills, including critical thinking and discussion techniques through structured argumentation.
2. Role-playing is intended to foster the ability to adopt different perspectives and to engage in argumentative exchange with diverse viewpoints.
3. Practice in finding compromises based on scientifically sound arguments.
4. Presentation and balanced evaluation of different perspectives (e.g., nature conservation, agriculture, hunting, politics, tourism) in a fact-based and objective manner.
5. Integration of scientific knowledge into the evaluation of ecological conflict issues.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.