Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Overview

SLU is currently ranked as number one in forestry science. Here you can learn about history, ecology, and management of the world’s largest forest biome, which provide essential raw materials and services worldwide.

Learning outcomes

Forests serve as a home for a great diversity of organisms and cultural heritage and play vital roles in global water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. At the same time they are increasingly impacted by intensification of land use and interacting global changes such as climate change, atmospheric deposition, invasive species, and natural disturbance like wildfires.

The resulting changes in the ecosystem properties may in turn feedback to global climate, and impact upon the provision of forest products and services. Maintaining functioning forests, and the ecosystem services that they provide, will require new management strategies and the ability to deal with conflicting interests.

During the Forest Ecology and Sustainable Management program from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, students will gain a comprehensive skill set of ecology and management and develop into broadly competent professionals and researchers who

• have a deep and comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystem properties and processes and how management activities affect the provision of forest products and ecosystem services and
• have a vast set of practical and professional skills needed to make evidence-based forest management decisions to achieve multiple forest-use objectives.

Students will practice specific skills and tools frequently used in forest-related research and industries, such as data analysis, modelling, problem identification and solving, decision making, communication, and writing. The programme also emphasizes interactions between students, academic researchers, and professionals within the Swedish forestry and land-management sectors and government.

Future

FESM graduates are highly competitive in the job market and qualified to continue studying in a doctoral programme. During the two years of the programme, students will learn advanced topics in forest ecology and sustainable management for multiple objectives, practical skills, and professional development. Students will interact with academics, private industries, and public agencies through lectures, field excursions, symposia, and workshops. As international programme, we will create an active social network across the world.