Forest management plan (5 cr)

Objective

You show that you are familiar with the concepts and methods of forestry management plans.
You are able to compile forest management plans and instruct forest owners to implement them.
You are able to participate in a goal-oriented way in the work of your group

Content

How to determine the main contents and concepts of forest management plans?
How to compile forest management plans and how to instruct forest owners to implement them?
How to work in a goal-oriented way as a member of a group?

Course material

A video-based preliminary task to be submitted by summer 2025.
Fieldwork Guide for Forest Planning, Tapio 2023, ISBN 978-952-338-133-9 (PDF)
Principles of Forest Planning Calculations - Reconciling Values, Tapio 2020, ISBN 978-952-338-093-6
Other materials will be provided during lectures.

Study forms and methods

Accelerated Learning Path:
- **August**: Basics and training.
- **September**: Fieldwork, calculations, compilation and submission of your own forest plan.
- **Content**: Basics, methods, and implementation of forest planning, theory, and future perspectives.
- **Assessment**: Forest plan compiled from a self-selected site.
Work-Integrated Learning Path:
- Contact OVA.

RDI and work-related cooperation

Collaboration with working life: Finnish Forest Centre and Tapio experts.

Timing of exams and assignments

Submission of the preliminary task (video and maps) before the August contact teaching. Submission of the forest plan (electronic and written) before the September contact teaching.

Student workload

1 ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 27 hours of student work. However, the workload depends on the student’s study skills and prior knowledge.
In a 5 ECTS course, the student’s workload is approximately 135 hours, of which about 48 hours are scheduled lectures, fieldwork, and group work under the teacher’s supervision, and about 85 hours are independent learning tasks.
The workload includes 48 hours of contact teaching days, 10 hours for the preliminary task, 15 hours for the assignments to be submitted, and 60 hours for the forest plan.

Course part description

Preliminary Task:
Self-selected map location (preferably the same as the final forest planning site). Locate the site, print the map, familiarize yourself with the site in the field, practice orienteering, and submit the map (map link) and a video analysis of the site before the start of the contact teaching. If necessary, field measurements of the site can be done in the summer before the contact periods.

August Contact Teaching:
Assessment of the suitability of the site selected in the preliminary task for forest planning, introduction to planning software (Foresta/ForestKit), as well as theory of forest planning and practical fieldwork exercises. Includes assignments to be submitted!

Forest Plan:
Create a forest plan for a self-selected site according to your own schedule. Submission before the September contact teaching!

September Contact Teaching:
Finalization, review, and evaluation of the submitted forest plans. Theory of forest planning, future perspectives, and future requirements for forest planning.

Further information

Successful completion of the course requires orienteering and map-reading skills. If your orienteering skills are “rusty,” I recommend participating in evening orienteering events to refresh your skills!

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

A successfully submitted and approved forest plan and all assignments submitted and approved.