ENS294 Stability and Sustainability of the Biosphere

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Pavel Rotter, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Veronika Išová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 18:00–19:40 P22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 15 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/15, only registered: 0/15, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/15
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The creative form of lectures will bring the background for understanding the term of the stability, development and collapse in the case of open dynamical systems on the different scales. The presentation of different current problems connected with Biosphere (the climate regulation of The Earth, degradation of ecosystems, the functional point of view on the landscape, collapse of civilizations), will provide the deeper imagination about various approach for the environmental problems description a and about its more general roots.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to identify the main issues threatening the stability of the current biosphere. Based on the understanding of the functioning of complex, open dynamic systems, they will be able to describe the degradation of ecosystems, climate change and interaction between civilization and environmental changes.
Syllabus
  • How should the stability be defined?: relativisation and new meaning the term of stability for the Biosphere; the stability and development of populations, ecosystems and landscape: the journey towards the functional complementarity? indicators of sustainability in ecosystems; the human world and stability: the establishment, collapses (and recovery) of civilizations; the planet Earth as an open dynamical systems and climate regulation; the Synthesis.
Literature
    required literature
  • ROTTER, Pavel. Stabilita ekologických systémů (Stability of ecological systems). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2013, 266 pp. Edice Recetox. ISBN 978-80-210-6608-3. info
  • BÁRTA, Miroslav and Martin KOVÁŘ. Kolaps a regenerace: cesty civilizací a kultur : minulost, současnost a budoucnost komplexních společností. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2011, 814 s. ISBN 9788020020369. info
  • LOREAU, Michel. From populations to ecosystems : theoretical foundations for a new ecological synthesis. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010, xiv, 297. ISBN 9780691122700. info
  • DIAMOND, Jared M. Kolaps : proč společnosti zanikají a přežívají. Translated by Zdeněk Urban. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2008, 751 s. ISBN 9788020015891. info
  • Něco překrásného se končí : kolapsy v přírodě a společnosti. Edited by Petr Pokorný - Miroslav Bárta. 1. vyd. Praha: Dokořán, 2008, 255 s. ISBN 9788073631970. info
  • CAPRA, Fritjof. Tkáň života : nová syntéza mysli a hmoty. Translated by Jan Pokorný. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2004, 290 s. ISBN 8020011692. info
Teaching methods
the lectures accompanied by presentations, discussion selected topics from literature
Assessment methods
test + evaluation of activity during the lectures
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2017, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2018/ENS294