| CODE | EMP3023 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Environmental Change | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will focus on a number of key aspects related to environmental change by exploring past transformations within the landscape due to both climatic and anthropogenic impacts through a number of proxies (such as palynology); it will also introduce students to aerobiology as a means of monitoring current vegetation dynamics. Looking at these changes, in a (pre)historical as well as a current context, can shed light on possible future plant assemblages under various climate change scenarios. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims: - To familiarize students with the process of environmental change; - To enable students to understand the way in which environmental change is an ongoing process affected by both climatic and anthropogenic influences; - To enable students to understand the various methods and tools available for monitoring this change, with reference to practical examples; - To provide students with on-site visits to better understand the realities related to data collection in this field. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the process through which a proxy is used to provide details on environmental change; - Explain the stages involved in the preparation, collection and extraction material, as well as those needed in the laboratory for the identification and analysis of the results; - Explain the concept of palynology; - Explain the concept of aerobiology; - Recognize the key issues related to environmental change. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Recognize and identify the main stages of environmental change globally during the Holocene, with particular reference to the Malta and Mediterranean region; - Critically appraise the various proxies available for monitoring environmental change; - Critically appraise the benefits and limitations of aerobiology; - Discuss the costs and benefits of environmental change monitoring; - Undertake fieldwork techniques such as sediment sampling and stratigraphic mapping; - Undertake laboratory tasks using a light microscope; - Undertake vegetation reconstruction using specialised software. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Roberts, N. 2014. The Holocene: An Environmental History (3rd Ed). Wiley Blackwell. ISBN: 978-0631186380. Supplementary Readings: - Students with be directed to current articles throughout the study-unit |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Attendance to scheduled sessions (lectures, field work, seminar, laboratory sessions and any other teaching session in whatever mode) is obligatory and only students having a satisfactory attendance will be assessed in the study-unit. Students, who do not attend at least 85% of the teaching time allocated to the study-unit, will not be allowed to sit for any of the assessment components mentioned below. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork, Lab Sessions, Lectures & Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Belinda Gambin |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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