Welcome to the Course

Warm welcome to our online course “Restoration of Degraded Forest Ecosystem and Forest Plantation Development”. Deforestation and forest degradation are the biggest threats to forests, biodiversity, climate mitigation and livelihood of the people worldwide. Therefore, restoration of degraded forests naturally or with assisted regeneration is a key to address the issues mentioned above. This online course will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the principles of restoration of degraded forests and setting and developing plantations. The course will cover basics of forest ecology, forest carbon and nutrient cycling, and what impact climate and site have on forest functioning. We discuss properties of degraded forests and ways of its restoration, as well as setting up a plantation with case-studies from various tropical Asia-Pacific regions.

How to take the course?

The course consists of five complementary sections called ‘Learning Modules’ with each module including 2-5 topics. To learn systematically, we recommend you to follow the course progressively from start to end as directed in the syllabus. This is particularly important for the students who are registered for the credit.

As mentioned in the syllabus and learning activities, there are mandatory assignments, required to be completed and graded on time. The course is designed to be undertaken on a weekly schedule. In the 1st week, you are required to submit a self-introduction video and complete the Pre-course Survey and of course become familiar with the course Canvas site and with your peers. Each week, you will go through the self-explanatory lecture presentation and read the readings. Based on the lecture presentation and reading, you are expected to respond to the discussion questions posted by instructor with no more than 150 words or post at least two thought provoking questions, actively participate in the discussion including commenting at least two peer’s responses to instructor’s discussion question or to your peer’s thought provoking questions (each comment not more than 100 words). After completing each topic/module, you are also expected to complete the mandatory quiz. Please see details in the syllabus and learning activities. On week 7th, you will have open book online mid-term exam, please see syllabus and learning activities for details. On final week i.e. week 14th, you will have open book final exam (online). You are also required to complete the post-course survey. Please go through the syllabus and learning activities for details on the deadline and direction to complete the task.

How to advance in the course?

To advance successfully in this course, please make sure that you complete all the modules, topics, and assignments as per scheduled in the syllabus. There are five modules and each module contains 2-5 topics. Each week, you will start with lecture video about the assigned module/topic introducing key concepts and key points. And finally, complete the mandatory quiz. Read the instructions and assignments carefully, and ask for help when you need it.

What's my advice?

We advise you to establish a routine for taking this course. Just set up some regular times during the week or weekend if you are working, and don’t put it aside once you are started! please be regular, curious, follow the deadline, be proactive, participate actively in the course and become an active motivator for collaborative learning. Do not wait until the last moment to complete the assignments. If you have any confusion, do not hesitate to contact your instructor or teaching assistants.