Type of course

Applicants for this PhD course must be a PhD candidate at one of the Scandinavian institutions that are a partner in the PHOTOSYNTECH Research School. The course is intended for PhD students with basic knowledge in relevant fields of plant ecology and environmental sciences.

This PhD course will run together with a course for students at Masters level, so there will be a mixture of PhD and MSc students.

PhD students at UiT apply for a seat by registering for classes in StudentWeb before 1. September. The registration starts 15. May.

Other applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb before 1. June. Application code 9301. For applicants who are granted a seat, a study right will be created, and these applicants apply for a seat by registering for classes in StudentWeb before 9. August.

Admission requirements

Who can apply as a singular course student:

• PhD student enrolled at another institution than UiT. PhD students must upload a document from their university stating that there are registered PhD students. This group of applicants does not have to prove English proficiency and are exempt from semester fee.
• Holders of a master´s degree of five years or 3+2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. These applicants must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. Applicants from listed countries must document proficiency in English. To find out if this applies to you, see the following list: Proficiency in English must be documented - list of countries. For more information on accepted English proficiency tests and scores, as well as exemptions from the English proficiency tests, please see the following document: Proficiency in english - PhD level studies

Number of participants: 5 (minimum) to 20 (maximum). The course will only run with a minimum of 4 PHOTOSYNTECH PhD students registered.

Course content

Terrestrial upland ecosystems in cool climates (hilly or mountainous areas and some at lower elevations in the Far North) have slow-forming, nutrient-poor thin soils, and often slow-growing plants and low vegetation cover. This makes them particularly vulnerable to degradation, especially from footpath erosion.

Although the course is focussed on the avoidance of damage and the restoration of footpaths, the principles covered can be applied to the avoidance, mitigation and restoration of damage to upland/arctic habitats as a result of other recreational activities (e.g. ski-resorts) and to the installation of infrastructure (wind farms, mobile phone masts, tracks, pipelines, cabins/buildings, etc.).

The course will discuss the ways in which upland ecosystems may become degraded and the vegetation types that are the most vulnerable. It will demonstrate methods to avoid future damage as well as restoration and revegetation techniques to be employed at the small and large scale.

Students will be taken to visit a range of sites in the Tromsø area to demonstrate erosion and will be shown ongoing restoration projects. In addition, the students will be introduced to a range of non-university organisations and consultancies that are involved in ecological restoration.

There are 3 components to the course:

Preparation (at home): Students should carefully read the literature provided.

Intensive teaching (at UiT Tromsø) within a 2-week period.

Assessment (at home): development and presentation of a restoration plan.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of this course, the student:

• Can explain the challenges posed by different types of ecological degradation.
• Can describe why certain upland vegetation types and terrain are most vulnerable to damage and erosion.
• Can explain various ecological restoration methods and the differences between them.
• Will know how to reduce the consequences of human activities in vulnerable upland ecosystems.
• Can explain the relevance and importance of long-term data for management and restoration of upland ecosystems.

Skills

After completing the course, the student is able to:

• Evaluate the relevance of different restoration methods for specific ecological problems.
• Design a detailed a restoration and management plan for an upland area.
• Monitor the restoration of a damaged upland area and evaluate the success of the plan.
• Give concrete advice on how to prevent or reduce future environmental degradation.

General competence

The student:

• Can demonstrate a practical use for ecological knowledge.
• Can communicate their arguments in written and oral form.
• Can demonstrate leadership in a restoration project.
• Has contact with relevant experts in non-university organisations/ small consultancies/ local councils etc.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Students should read the background material provided before starting the intensive part of the course in Tromsø (lasting 1-2 weeks) which consists of approx. 10-16 hours of lectures and workshops, 6 hours seminars, and 2-3 days of field excursions.

Relevant safety training will be provided at the start of each field excursion.