Z7051 Practicum on environmental geography

Faculty of Science
Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation
Extent and Intensity
0/3/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Máčka, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Rudolf Brázdil, DrSc.
Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Máčka, Ph.D.
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( Z0026 Physical geography && Z4066 Landscape ecology ) || PROGRAM(N-GK)
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
Course objectives
The main objectives of the course include joint solving of small project devoted to the issues of environmental geography. Projects will be solved in the territory of the Brno aglomeration.
The objectives of the course are as follows:
- define and review the scope, aims, working methods and examples of solved problems from the field of environmental geography in two introductory lectures;
- compile four projects on selected environmental themes;
- present the outputs of the projects in the form of powerpoint presentation and poster, which will be discussed with fellowstudents during the final workshop;
The course will be targeted to the link between the analysis of thematic maps of the studied area, field work, laboratory work, processing of gathered field data and presentation of the results at the workshop.
Syllabus
  • The course is designed as a set of several small projects solved during spring semester, which will be thematicaly oriented to the utilisation of natural resources, natural risks and hazards, land cover changes, ecological stability of landscape and its management and the urban environment. Above mentioned themes will be solved in the space of Brno aglomeration (urban, suburban and rural landscapes of Brno region). The themes of the projects may change annualy.
  • Examples of solved projects:
  • - Assesment of the traffic noise intensity in selected quaters of Brno city;
  • - Assesment of the rock fall hazard on the selected localities in the inner Brno city;
  • - Hydromorfological monitoring of streams and rivers in urban and suburban environment;
  • - Assesment of the mineral extraction impact on the environmental quality of the Brno aglomeration;
  • - Assesment of the stress factors and ecological quality of suburban forests (Holedná a Podkomorské lesy game preserve), recreational potential (large population of games, weekend cottage colonies, forestry, ...)
  • Time schedule of the activities duroing semester is as follows:
  • - Introductory seminar: majing students aware with the content and organization of the course, visiting the laboratory - making familiar with laboratory equipment and review of available analytical techniques, safety instructions; 2 hours.
  • - Lecture: introduction to environmental geography, overview of filed and laboratory techniques, introduction to the principles of planning and solving of environmental projects; 2 hours.
  • - Field work: 4times filed activity; 6 hours each, altogether 24 hours.
  • - Laboratory work: 4times laboratory activity; 2 hours each, altogether 8 hours.
  • - Presentation of results: 2 workshops with powerpoint presentations and discussion of results, each workshop 2 hours; altogether 4 hours.
Literature
  • BURT, James E., Gerald M. BARBER and David L. RIGBY. Elementary statistics for geographers. 3rd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2009, xii, 653. ISBN 9781572304840. info
  • MARSH, William M. and John GROSSA. Environmental geography : science, land use, and earth systems. 3rd ed. New York: J. Wiley, 2005, 455 p. ISBN 0471482803. URL info
  • ZELENKA, Josef and Jiří ŠTEJFA. Environmentální a ekologický slovník vybraných pojmů. Vyd. 1. Hradec Králové: Gaudeamus, 2000, 183 s. ISBN 8070416270. info
  • Essential environmental science : methods & techniques. Edited by Simon Watts - Lyndsay Halliwell. New York: Routledge, 1996, xxxii, 512. ISBN 0415132479. URL info
Teaching methods
Field work will be organized on Friday morning. However, time and date of field and laboratory work may be specified on agreement between the teacher and students according to their actual time constraints.
Work will be organized in groups, students within groups will divide work amog themselves.
Assessment methods
The course is passed with colocvium. Presumption for succesful pass is an active participation in field and laboratory work and active presentation in the final workshop (powerpoint presentation, poster).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2010, Spring 2011, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2016, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.