Course Objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of physical and cultural relationships concerning the coasts, mountains, forests, lakes and waterways. Students will develop an understanding for the interplay between nature and culture.

Course Description

Themes linked to the various types of environment: coasts, mountains, forests, lakes and waterways:
Weather and climate: the shaping of the landscape by natural processes (wind, precipitation, currents, waves, ice and snow), and the significance for plant and animal-life.
The landscape: bed-rock geology, quaternary geology, and geomorphology: bedrock, sediments and the significance of the topography for the soil, vegetation, animal life and human activity. Flora and fauna: typical species in the various natural environments, the adaptations of the species to and influence upon their environments.
Ecological relationships and the rhythms of nature: plants, animal and human adaptation to and influence upon both biotic and abiotic factors.
Environmental threats against the various nature types
Cultural themes associated with environmental types: coasts, mountains, forests, lakes and waterways
Traditional uses of nature: hunting, fishing, harvesting, alpine dairy farming and forestry, etc. Cultural traces and cultural relics.
Understanding of nature and perceptions of nature in the pre-industrial exploitation of nature. Legends and myths associated with natural formations, plants and animals.
Our personal relationship to nature and culture.
Expressing and explaining nature experiences and relationships to nature.

Learning Methods

Instruction is given during the autumn and spring semesters. The course includes lectures and seminars, outdoors and indoors. In addition, the students work throughout the year with various assignments and also a personal ‘environmental diary’. The environmental diary will contain, among other things, reflections on one’s personal relationship to nature. The assignments will be submitted as written work, individually and by groups. These will be assessed in combination with the environmental diaries.

Assessment Methods

Individual written home-examination. The submission of two assignments. Grade based on the examination and the written assignments. The students must have attended 80% of the instruction before they can submit assignments for evaluation.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean