Forest and Hunting Resources

Objectives

1) To know the main types of forests at the global, national and regional levels;
2) To know the potential Portuguese natural forest and the changes that has undergone over the centuries;
3) To know the natural and cultivated forest systems, their ecology and the interactions that take place between the environmental, social and economic components;
4) Acquire tools for forest conservation, management and restoration.

Program

1. Definition of forest
2. Natural forest vs. cultivated forest
3. Global forest biomes
3.1. Boreal forest
3.2. Deciduous forest
3.3. Mediterranean woods
3.4. Tropical Seasonal Forest
3.5. Tropical Moist Forest
4. Trees of Portugal and the Azores
5. Natural forest of Portugal
5.1. Native forest in mainland Portugal
5.1.1. Paleo-history (Miocene to middle age) and ancient history of forests (the Middle Age to the present)
5.2.2. Oak forests
5.2.3. Mediterranean woods
5.2. Native forests of the Azores and Madeira
5.2.1. The forest before and after settlement
5.2.2. Laurel Forest of Madeira
5.2.3. Azorean Laurophylous Forests

5.2.4. Azorean Ilex Forests
5.2.5. Juniperus Forests and woodlands of cedar Azores
6. cultivated forest
6.1. The Oak agrosylvopastoral system
6.2. Pinewoods
6.3. Eucalypts woods
6.4. Cryptomeria woods
7. Forest protection
7.1. Causes and consequences of fires. Mitigation measures.
7.2. Diseases and pests of Portuguese forests

7.3. Invasive species

Teaching Methodologies

Presentation of theoretical content using the Data Show;

Discussion of theoretical contents;

Field classes;

Discussion of student presentations.

 

Evaluation

 

1) The evaluation has a theoretical (T) component (two frequencies) and theoretical-practical component (TP) (3 assignments/reports).

 

2) The student will be approved in the T component if it attends at least 50% of the classes and obtains a final grade (corresponding to the average of the grades of the two frequencies) equal to or greater than 10. Any student who does not attend at least 50% of classes will fail and be excluded from the exam.

 

3) The final grade for the TP component will be given by the average of the grades obtained in all the reports/work. Reports/work relating to themes 2 and 3 are mandatory. Among the reports/work related to themes 1 and 4, the student must submit one. If you hand in both, only the one with the best grade will be counted.

Themes of the presentations:

1. Tree species regeneration strategies

2. Biodiversity and carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems on Terceira island

3. Topic to be chosen by the student, referring to points 9 or 10 of the program (with oral presentation).

4. Sport hunting and tourism

4) The student will be approved in the TP component if it attends at least 50% of the classes and obtains a final grade equal to or greater than 10. Any student who does not attend at least 50% of classes will fail and be excluded from the exam. Assessments of the TP component that involve participation in classes will only be permitted to students who have attended the class corresponding to the assessment in question. To carry out reports, students must be present at least in one of the corresponding practical classes. The evaluation of the theoretical-practical component is carried out exclusively during the period of attendance, and the evaluation elements must be delivered on the dates stipulated during the semester.

 

6) The student will pass the course if he successfully completes the theoretical component and the theoretical-practical component. The final grade will be given by the formula:

NF = (NT x 0.6) + (NTP x 0.4)

In which, NF is the final grade of the subject, NT is the grade of the theoretical component of the assessment and NTP is the grade of the theoretical-practical component.

Bibliography

Begon, M., C. R. Townsend & J. L. Harper. 2005. Ecology from individuals to ecosystems. Blackwell Publishing. Malden, USA.

Elias, R.B., Gil, A., Silva, L., Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Azevedo, E.B. & Reis, F. 2016. Natural zonal vegetation of the Azores Islands: characterization and potential distribution. Phytocoenologia 46(2): 107-123. DOI: 10.1127/phyto/2016/0132

Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Arévalo, J.R., Balguerías, E., Barone, R., de Nascimento, L., Elias, R.B., Delgado, J.D., Fernández-Lugo, S., Méndez, J., Naranjo Cigala, A., Menezes de Sequeira, M. & Otto, R. (2017) La Laurisilva. Canarias, Madeira y Azores. Macaronesia Editorial, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 420 pp. ISBN: 978-84-697-5454-2

Furtado, G. 2011. Um Contributo para a Defesa da Caça. Gráfica Açoreana, Lda. Ponta Delgada Legislação da Caça em Portugal: Continente, Madeira e Açores.

Silva J. S. (ed.), Árvores e florestas de Portugal – Vol. 2: Os Carvalhais. Fundação Luso-Americana/ Liga para a Protecção da Natureza. Silva J. S. (ed.), Árvores e florestas de Portugal – Vol. 3: Os Montados. Fundação Luso-Americana/ Liga para a Protecção da Natureza.

Silva J. S. (ed.), Árvores e florestas de Portugal – Vol. 4: Pinhais e Eucaliptais. Fundação Luso-Americana/ Liga para a Protecção da Natureza. Silva J. S. (ed.), Árvores e florestas de Portugal – Vol. 6: Açores e Madeira. Fundação Luso-Americana/ Liga para a Protecção da Natureza.

van der Maarel, E. (ed.) 2005. Vegetation Ecology. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford, UK