LPLK10287U Agroforestry
MSc Programme in Agriculture
MSc Programme in Environment and Development
MSc Programme in Global Environment and Development
Agroforestry framework, terminology and history
Crops and trees interaction with microclimate and water, including trees' role in mitigating wind mechanical wind impact and fire
The role of trees and crops in nutrient cycling and the effect on physical soil parameters, in particular mitigating soil erosion
Agroforestry systems and practices and their technical operation
Agroforestry species (crops, trees, 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
Socio-economy and development cross cutting issues, e.g. tenure, gender, economic development and adoptability
The objective of the course is to provide students an insight into the overall options, limitations and constrains pertaining to sustainability of small complex production systems with a large tree component under a wide range of conditions, with particular emphasis on the tropics. The course should enable students to relate to 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, and their possible interaction with trees or tree environments
- 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 bio-physical environment in agroforestry systems
- Describe the principle of nutrient cycling and energy flow in small subsistence systems with a large tree component
- Describe how political and cultural regulations may improve or
discourage perennial crops in farming systems
Skills
- Analyse and describe the synergetic, complementary and competitive relations between different species in small complex systems consisting of several crops, animals and tree species
- Analyse the framework of biophysical conditions in the main types of tropical systems (humid lowland, dry areas and highlands tropics) and temperate regions 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
- Explain how presence of trees in general and particular species alter conditions for pest and pathogens, and how trees may aggravate or reduce pest and disease problems as compared with non-AF systems
- Analyse quantitative and qualitative outputs of agroforestry systems in relation to investment and production cost, seasonality, market and domestic need
- Analyze sustainability in terms of production, income and long term natural resource management in agroforestry systems
Competences
Recommend relevant agroforestry interventions to meet/cope with/overcome short and long term food problems, production constraints and/or environmental degradation
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 ecological and socio-economic settings
Teaching material consists of book chapters and articles which will be linked or uploaded via Absalon
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 40
- Preparation
- 84
- Exercises
- 56
- Exam
- 26
- Total
- 206
Students are expected to make two oral presentations during the course and will receive oral feedback on those. At the final exam, students get an explanation of their grade of the two parts of exams, using a list of evaluation criteria
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment, 24 hoursOral examination, 20 minutes
- Type of assessment details
- Description of examination: The written assignment is a 24 hour
written assignment, which takes place half way through the course.
Students develop the agroforestry component of a pre-written
framework of a particular farm in a particular environment. The
assignment includes only those topics taught during the first
modules of the course.
The oral exam may start with 1-2 clarifying questions to written work and answers be evaluated together as part of the written exam. The main part of the oral exam will be a discussion of a randomly selected topic covering any of the course modules
Weight: The final grade will be based on a total evaluation of the two parts of the exam (50%+50%). In order to pass the exam, each of the two exam parts must achieve a passing grade (minimum grade 02). - Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
Written assignement and oral examination. 24 hours written assigment handed out during the re-examination week, followed by an oral examination of about 20 minutes. The final grade will be based on a total evaluation of the two parts of the exam (50%+50%). In order to pass the exam, each of the two exam parts must achieve a passing grade (minimum grade 02). If one of the exam parts (written or oral) has been passed during the ordinary exam, re-exam will only be held for the part not passed during the ordinary exam
Criteria for exam assesment
Se learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- LPLK10287U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 2
- Schedule
- A
- Course capacity
- No limitation – unless you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student
Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting departments
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
- Department of Food and Resource Economics
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Lars Schmidt (3-6f7666436c6a71316e7831676e)
Lecturers
Lars Holger Schmidt
Jens-Peter Barnekow-Lillesø
Hanne Hansen IVH
Ida Theilade, IFRO