Teacher(s)
Language
French
Main themes
The course proceeds from actual stakes related to the biological, agronomical and environmental engineering and will approach the following themes:
- the bio-geochemical cycles of the biosphere (water, carbon, nitrogen); enrgetic flows.
- notions of bio-climatology, classification of climats, climatic indicators.
- basic notions of ecosystems (biotopes and biocenoses, trophic chains); food chains; production and productivity.
- sustainable development; notions of equilibrium and imbalance; notions of vulnerability; biodiversity and the conservation problematic; pollution and tracability problems.
- role of the soil as a reactor in the functioning of ecosystems: water and mineral elements storage, alteration and acidification; notions of resilience, mobility of biogenous elements and bio-pedological cycles; storage and mobility of contaminants.
- impact of the human being on the functioning of the ecosystems and on the soil.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | This course aims the initiation of the students to the important stakes related to the biological, agronomical and environmental engineering; to discern the role of the futur bio-engineer and to acquire the basic concepts essential to the analysis and management of ecosystems. It should bring the students to: - understant the technical and scientific acts of a bio-engineer in a framework of wich's dimentions go beyond those of the engineer sensu stricto. - acquire the basic concepts of the analysis of the air-water-soil interactions and of the global functioning of ecosystems. - understand the bio-geochemical cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen) and the global funtioning of their compartments, especially the soil. |
Content
1. Table of contents
The course is divided into three parts, each taught by a different lecturer. The parts taught by Pierre Defourny and Philippe Baret make up the LBIR1230A course, which is open to all students. The part taught by Pierre Delmelle requires prior knowledge of Earth Sciences and basic Chemistry.
1a. Global ecological changes (Pierre Defourny)
1b. Global biophysical processes (Pierre Defourny)
2a. Major cycles (Pierre Delmelle)
2b. Introduction to soil science (Pierre Delmelle)
3a. Introduction to ecology (Philippe Baret)
3b. Principles of agriculture (Philippe Baret)
3c. Bioengineering and sustainable development (Philippe Baret)
2. Additional explanations
Building on students' existing knowledge, the current state of scientific understanding regarding the various global ecological and climate changes is described and discussed in detail. These global changes are linked together to clarify their causal chains, which are then put into perspective in relation to political and social responses.
Core concepts are taught using concrete examples related to biosphere engineering and issues linked to resources and territories. For instance, starting from an issue such as global human food supply, various core concepts are taught: energy flows and productivity, biogeochemical cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen), soil storage and mineral/water supply functions, trophic and food chains, and so on. Teaching is based on a problem-based approach, in which core concepts are acquired through analysis of the issues and by putting the concepts into perspective.
The course is divided into three parts, each taught by a different lecturer. The parts taught by Pierre Defourny and Philippe Baret make up the LBIR1230A course, which is open to all students. The part taught by Pierre Delmelle requires prior knowledge of Earth Sciences and basic Chemistry.
1a. Global ecological changes (Pierre Defourny)
1b. Global biophysical processes (Pierre Defourny)
2a. Major cycles (Pierre Delmelle)
2b. Introduction to soil science (Pierre Delmelle)
3a. Introduction to ecology (Philippe Baret)
3b. Principles of agriculture (Philippe Baret)
3c. Bioengineering and sustainable development (Philippe Baret)
2. Additional explanations
Building on students' existing knowledge, the current state of scientific understanding regarding the various global ecological and climate changes is described and discussed in detail. These global changes are linked together to clarify their causal chains, which are then put into perspective in relation to political and social responses.
Core concepts are taught using concrete examples related to biosphere engineering and issues linked to resources and territories. For instance, starting from an issue such as global human food supply, various core concepts are taught: energy flows and productivity, biogeochemical cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen), soil storage and mineral/water supply functions, trophic and food chains, and so on. Teaching is based on a problem-based approach, in which core concepts are acquired through analysis of the issues and by putting the concepts into perspective.
Teaching methods
Teaching takes the form of a lecture course incorporating approaches that draw on students' collaborative contributions during sessions, online resources, and, depending on opportunities, input from civil society actors.
Evaluation methods
Written examination in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire consisting of three equal parts corresponding to the subjects taught by the three teachers. The examination constitutes a whole and cannot be taken in parts.
Other information
The course does not require any specific materials that are subject to a fee and considered mandatory. Any fee-based materials that may be recommended are optional.
Online resources
The oral lecture, the lecture slides, and the supplementary documentary resources constitute the teaching materials for this course. The lecture slides and supplementary documentary resources are available on the course's Moodle page.
Teaching materials
- Le cours ne fait appel à aucun support particulier qui serait payant et jugé obligatoire. Les ouvrages payants qui seraient éventuellement recommandés le sont à titre facultatif.
Faculty or entity
