Summer 2016

"Maximising Biodiversity in Urbanized Landscapes: Learning from the past to plan for the future"

The course aims to provide participants with familiarisation with extensive and varied topics in Urban Ecology, including subjects such as; landscape changes, biodiversity in cities, conflicts between animals and humans, environmental policy, Ecohealth, and climate change. Students should expect to critically consider existing approaches towards urban ecology with the goal of creating more democratic and sustainable forms of urbanization. Invited speakers will include experts from SWILD, BAFU, WWF, WSL, and various international organisations. It is an opportunity for students to interact and network.

Course Objectives:
To develop a thorough understanding of the influence of urbanization and urbanized areas on ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human societies.
To learn fundamental approaches to urban ecology research.
To gain insights into urban ecosystems and organisms in urban environments.
Active participation in class discussions on specific topics in urban ecology.
To interact with external researchers in the field of urban ecology.

The graduate school is funded through SUK-Programm "Doktoratsprogramme".