The main objective of the course is to acquainte students with the meaning of ecology as science. Specific attention is paied to environmentally friendly systems of food production including their social aspects. At the end of the course students should be able to: understand and explain the basic terms of ecology and environmental science including global environmental issues; understand basic principles of food chains; examine the strength and weaknesses of industrial food production including its energy demands; understand environmental and social benefits of organic agriculture.
Syllabus
Global environmental issues.
Mad and Food I – population, ecological limits.
Man and Food II - global aspects of food production.
Basic terms of ecology: bioms, agroecosystems, urban ecosystems, energy and material flows and cycles.
Organic agriculture as applied ecology I – production principles.
Organic agriculture as applied ecology II - quality of products.
Social aspects of organic agriculture - strategies and activities of NGOs in the field of agriculture and food.
Literature
MOLDAN, Bedřich. Ekologická dimenze udržitelného rozvoje. Vyd. 1. V Praze: Univerzita Karlova, 2001. 102 s. ISBN 80-246-0246-6. info
URBAN, Jiří and Bořivoj ŠARAPATKA. Ekologické zemědělství :učebnice pro školy i praxi. 1. vyd. Praha: Ministerstvo životního prostředí ČR, 2003. 280 s. ISBN 80-7212-274-6. info
MOLDAN, Bedřich. (Ne)udržitelný rozvoj :ekologie : hrozba i naděje. Edited by Hana Kolářová. 2. vyd. V Praze: Univerzita Karlova, 2003. 141 s. ISBN 80-246-0769-7. info
LAŠTŮVKA, Zdeněk and Pavla KREJČOVÁ. Ekologie. 1. vyd. Brno: Konvoj, 2000. 184 s. ISBN 80-85615-93-2. info
Teaching methods
The course is based on lectures and individual work with the study recourses.
Students are required to write an essays.
Assessment methods
The course is finished by an examination. An essay has to be submitted as a condition for taking an exam. The literature for the subject will be placed in the section “Study materials” in IS. The exact conditions of the point evaluation for the test and essays will be published in the section “Study materials”. The topics for the presentations and the instructions will be published there as well.
Further comments (probably available only v češtině)
Výuka v podzimním semestru 2009 se koná v pondělky sudých týdnů - tedy 12.10., 26.10., 9.11., 23.11., a 7.12. (28.10. se výuka nekoná, státní svátek).
Čas výuky - 15:00-17:30 v seminární místnosti 046, Komenského nám. 2, zadní trakt, přízemí.
Uvedená literatura je doplněna v podrobném sylabu, který je umístěn ve studijních materiálů IS a v jeho interaktivnioch osnovách. Tam také budou v průběhu kursu zavěšovány všechny důležité dodatky a materiály.