Forests and their environment (FEN)

Targeted audience

This master course is open to international students (including Erasmus Mundus European forestry students) with a curriculum in forest science, agronomy, plant ecology, aiming at developing professional activities in the field of forest resources and ecosystems.

Students will be recruited on selective basis with a view to mix national origins. Depending on their education, applicants should justify a 1st year MSc level (M1) or master’s degree or equivalent (M2) as acknowledged in the EHEA (European Higher Education Area), or justify at a minimum a bachelor’s degree in non-european areas, with an educational background in forestry, plant science, agronomy, ecology, eco-physiology, or environmental science.

B2 level in English required : check the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Equivalent qualifications are IELTS >5, TOIEC >700, TOEFL IBT >90, or Cambridge FCE.

Objectives and skills

FEN is a major integrally ensured in English. FEN addresses environmental and management challenges in temperate forests in the current and future context of local and global environmental changes.
Aimed skills :
 Knowledge and understanding of the organization and functioning of forest ecosystems,
 Ability to analyze observations and experiments on forest ecosystems using appropriate quantitative tools,
 Understanding and development of modeling approaches to forest ecosystems,
 Ability to use major research tools and methods : identification and formalization of a research issue, literature analysis, oral and written scientific communication, in an English-speaking environment.

Target fields of activity and employment

• Careers of managers in public and private institutions in charge of environmental expertise, sustainable management of forest resources and areas, consulting for environment in forestry, agencies or organizations in charge of the technical evaluation of forest policies.
• Careers of scientists, scientific managers in research and R&D institutions, missions with an international dimension.

Curriculum

An introductory session gives an overview of European forests and the major issues related to their management.
The core of the major provides fundamental and applied knowledge on the functioning and dynamics of forest econsystems, inculding tree physiology, biogeochemistry and ecology.
A "tools and methods" session provides knowledge and training on the main quantitative tools used in ecosystem diagnosis and experiment analysis, including GIS, statistics and modelling.

The first semester (S9) relies on 9 compulsory training units (30 ECTS) :

Fundamental and applied knowledge

1. European forests, sustainable forest management, certification
2. Understanding tree structure and functions
3. Biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems
4. Dynamics of forest plant and tree communities
5. Forests and forestry in a context of global change

Tools and methodology

1. Project in forest ecology and management
2. Advances statistics or GIS for forest science and forest ecology
3. Models in forest management
4. Forestry wood-chain tour

Internship

The second semester (S10) consists of an internship of a duration of > 20 weeks, evaluated through a written dissertation and an oral defense for 30 ECTS credits. The intership takes place either in a research laboratory, or in institutions, companies or associations of relevant fields of application, in Nancy, or in any place including foreign countries. Interships can be proposed by students.

Students’ evaluation

Each compulsory training unit is evaluated on specific bases and gives right to 3 or 6 ECTS credits. The internship is evaluated based on a written dissertation, an oral presentation to the master jury, and advice from the internship supervisor.

Supervision of the major

Paulina PINTO (AgroParisTech) and Daniel EPRON (Université de Lorraine)

Educational team

AgroParisTech : UFR Foret, arbre, milieux naturels, département SIAFEE
Université de Lorraine : Faculté des Sciences et Technologies
External : INRA (BETA laboratory - SILVA laboratory), IRSTEA, IGN, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Application form should include :

• The EUROPASS documents (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents )
• Marks obtained over the previous educational year,
• One application letter,
• One recommendation letter from a senior professor/scientist of earlier educational courses/internships.