This course seeks to enhance our understanding of forest ecosystem services, not least as the future of global forest resources is a daily concern in international policy debate and processes.International and national initiatives need to be strengthened to sustain the economic potential of forest landscapes under increasing pressure from population growth. In addition, new challenges such as adaptation to uncertain climatic conditions, competing land uses as well as concerns about food security and biofuels are examples of major problems faced every day by forest-dependent communities and decision makers worldwide. All these drivers of change call for integrated and multidisciplinary approaches to incorporate landscape management in a way that both encourages immediate innovative action and sets targets for finding sustainable solutions. Forests and industrial plantations have become an important part of the global natural resource puzzle. A broader framework should thus include flexible management schemes to allow for effective participation of local communities, and the establishment of cost-efficient production systems (e.g. plantations, agroforestry), which can generate an adequate flow of commercial products, ecosystems services and livelihood improvements.For a functional framework, however, international and national initiatives for good governance, transparency, efficiency and equity must be integrated into the planning process. It is the complex web of interrelated issues that this course brings to the fore.

Course leader
Mr. Jouni Pasanen

Target group
This course examines forestry from an interdisciplinary and global perspective. The focus will be on ecosystem services that forests provide, and the students should therefore have at least a basic understanding of ecosystem functions. Advanced Master's or Doctoral degree students are warmly invited on this course as are young professionals in a field related to the topics covered.

Course aim
The objective of this intensive course is to provide learning tools and methods to analyse and identify opportunities for and threats to forest landscapes, which raise multiple expectations and perform a range of functions.

Fee info
EUR 640: This course fee applies to degree and PhD students who pay the fee before June 1, 2015.

Helsinki Summer School
Address: P.O. Box 3 University of Helsinki
Postal code: FI-00014
City: Helsinki
Country: Finland
Website: http://helsinkisummerschool.fi
E-mail: summer-school@helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 (0)2 941 40255