Undergraduate Course: Science for Agri-food Systems: Interactions within Systems (VETS08008)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course deals with the interactions that occur between organisms within Agri-food systems. It builds on the concepts introduced in semester 1 at the cell and organism level and scales them up to the field, farm and landscape level. |
| Course description |
Highlight any changes to the academic description. This section should include an outline of the content covered by the course and a description of the learning experience students can expect to get.
The aim of the course is to extend the scientific understanding developed in the Semester 1 Science for Agri-Food Systems: Cells to Organisms course by considering how organisms within an agri-food system interact with each other and their environment. It will be taught in the context of the global challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. The course will emphasise the importance of managing the interactions and linkages between different components within a system, including aquaculture, for successful and sustainable function. The main themes covered will include:
- Frameworks for considering interactions in agri-food and environmental systems
- Ecosystem processes including soil, air and water systems
- Beneficial and detrimental interactions between organisms (microbial, plant and animal), with respect to animal and crop health and production
- Animal behaviour, group interactions and human influence through domestication, breeding and management
- Harnessing and managing these interactions to create sustainable agricultural systems
The course will be delivered via a series of lectures, tutorials, laboratory and practical classes. Farm visits will be used to demonstrate interactions within different production systems, and examples will be used to illustrate key concepts in a global context.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain key interactions between soil, water, air, plants and animals.
- Distinguish between beneficial and detrimental biotic interactions and their effects on microbial, animal and plant health and animal and plant productivity.
- Appraise the interactions within agricultural systems, including the environmental impacts arising from agricultural systems.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Enquiry and lifelong learning
Outlook and engagement
Research and enquiry
Personal effectiveness
Communication |
| Keywords | agri-food,environment,soil,air,water systems,microbe,plant,animal interactions,ecosystems |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alfy Gathorne-Hardy
Tel: (0131 6)50 5412
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Gordon Littlejohn
Tel: (0131 6)51 7454
Email: |
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