Main Field of Study and progress level:
Environmental Health: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Earth Science/Physical Geography: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Grading scale: Pass with distinction, Pass, Fail
Responsible department: Department of Ecology and Environmental Science
Revised by: Faculty Board of Science and Technology, 2021-06-21
Contents
The course is directed towards analyses of environmental changes and their causes, with a focus on human impact. Many of today's environmental problems, such as lake acidification, lake eutrophication, heavy metal accumulation in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as climate change are not spontaneous events, rather they are the consequence of long-term perturbations. The present status of the environment cannot be properly understood without knowledge of the historical developments leading up to the present day. To assess the impact of human activities on ecosystems it is necessary to develop an understanding of the natural variability within these systems. The primary themes of the course are: long-term perspectives on lake-water quality (acidification, eutrophication), spatial and temporal trends in atmospheric pollutants; and climate change reconstructions. You will learn how to use environmental archives such as lake sediments and peat to study environmental changes, and learn about sampling techniques and different methods for environmental analyses. A project related to current research on environmental changes constitutes an important part of the course.
Required Knowledge
120 ECTS-credits of which 60 ECTS-credits in Physical Geography; or 60 ECTS-credits in Biology: or 60 ECTS-credits in Environmental Science; or its equivalence. English proficiency equivalent to English A from Swedish Upper secondary education. (IELTS (Academic) with minimum score 5.5 and no individual score below 5.0. TOEFL (Paper based with minimum score 530 and minimum TWE 4). TOEFL (Internet based with minimum score 72 and minimum Written 17)). Basic entrance requirements for higher studies in Swedish language proficiency is also required if the course is taught in Swedish.
Literature
The literature list is not available through the web.
Please contact the faculty.
