Z7887 Environmental History

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2026
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Lukáš Dolák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Lukáš Dolák, Ph.D.
Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Mgr. Lukáš Dolák, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
This course will provide the students a basic overview of the field of environmental history - its development, goals, and current topics. Students will learn about the environmental impacts on human society, as well as human society on the environment in the past and present, using the Central European landscape as an example. They will uncover the causes of landscape changes during the Holocene, with an emphasis on the last millennium. Students will also learn about the basic data sources and research methods (dendrochronology, climate reconstruction, transcription, etc.) used in environmental history. Emphasis is placed on climate history and current scientific outputs within environmental history and historical climatology.
Learning outcomes
Students will understand the basic principles of the interaction between the environment and human society in the Holocene using the Central European landscape as an example. They will learn about the development, data sources, methods, and current research topics in the field of environmental history. They will understand the evolution of the landscape and the impacts of human society on it. Students will become familiar with the impacts of past climate on human society as well as the most recent scholarship in environmental history and historical climatology.
Key topics
  • 1. Introduction into environmental history
  • 2. Data sources in environmental history
  • 3. Environmental history of the Czech Lands
  • 4. A matter of climate change
  • 5. Current issues of historical climatology
  • 8. Milestones of environmental history
Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • DANIEL, Jan; Jindřich FRAJER and Pavel KLAPKA. Environmentální historie České republiky (Environmental history of the Czech Republic). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2013, 198 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-6663-2. info
    recommended literature
  • LOŽEK, Vojen. Zrcadlo minulosti : česká a slovenská krajina v kvartéru. 2. vyd. Praha: Dokořán, 2007, 198 s. ISBN 9788073633400. info
  • SÁDLO, Jiří. Krajina a revoluce : významné přelomy ve vývoji kulturní krajiny Českých zemí. 3. upr. vyd. Praha: Malá Skála, 2008, 255 s. ISBN 9788086776064. info
  • MAUCH, Christof. Co jsou to environmentální dějiny a proč se jimi zabývat, Soudobé dějiny, 1-2, 9-18., 2017.
  • HRKAL, Zbyněk. Stopy bílého muže : voda včera, dnes a zítra. Vydání první. Praha: Euromedia Group, 2020, 266 stran. ISBN 9788024269375. info
  • ŠANTRŮČKOVÁ, Hana and Zdenka KŘENOVÁ. Co vyprávějí šumavské smrčiny : průvodce lesními ekosystémy Šumavy. Edited by Jaroslav Vrba. 1. vyd. Vimperk: Správa Národního parku a Chráněné krajinné oblasti Šumava, 2010, 153 s. ISBN 9788087257043. info
  • GOJDA, Martin. Archeologie krajiny : vývoj archetypů kulturní krajiny. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2000, 238 s. ISBN 8020007806. info
  • ELLIS, C. ERLE. People have shaped most of terrestrial nature for at least 12,000 years. PNAS, 118, 17, e2023483118, 2021.
  • HUGHES, J. Donald. An environmental history of the world : humankind's changing role in the community of life. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2001, xiv, 264. ISBN 0415136180. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Theoretical lectures and tuition by way of contactless form. Tuition is based upon papers concerning selected essays, the topics are then discussed in detail about procedures, methods and results. Students will try to apply methods, procedures of environmental history on selected topics. During the semester a seminar essay will be processed.
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Submitting an essay concerning with a topic of environmental history and oral presentation of a given paper is requested. Content and formal aspects of submitted essays are evaluated. colloquium - presentation of the essay results.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2009, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, spring 2012 - acreditation, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024, Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2026, recent)
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