220-331 Forest Health and Restoration

Forest health and restoration requires an understanding of the factors affecting ecosystem development, stability and the productivity of major species, the theory and practice of rehabilitating degraded forests and the role of human intervention in maintaining ecosystem sustainability, community-based restoration management, restoration science and technology, adaptive restoration and ecosystem monitoring. Content includes:

• forest pathology: the significance of forest diseases, the principal groups of pathogens, host-parasite relationships, epidemiology and disease control;

• forest entomology: biology, frequency, control and importance of insects and other forest invertebrates;

• assessment of individual trees, plantations, and blocks of native forest;

• rehabilitation of damaged areas and enhancement of habitat and biodiversity, forest restoration;

• effects of forest management on forest health.

A 3-hour written examination (50%) and up to three assignments totalling 50% (5000 words in total).