Module manager: Steve Carver
Email: s.j.carver@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
GEOG2150 or GEOG2095 or an equivalent qualification as agreed with the module convenor
| GEOG2095 | Skills for Physical Geographers |
| GEOG2150 | Social and Spatial Data Analysis with GIS |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module examines environmental problems and management issues in wilderness and global ecosystems. These include Arctic, mountain, forest, desert, savannah, wetlands and coastal/marine ecosystems, all of which are coming under increasing pressure from climate change, over-use and development. The module focuses human/environment interactions, environmental impacts, management strategies, protected areas, wilderness preservation, sustainable development and national and international policy implications. The second semester allows students to follow one of two routes that will focus on different aspects of global ecosystems, either: a) the application of GIS and associated spatial information technologies; or b) analysis of the effectiveness of international policy cooperation on the management of global ecosystems. Reference is made to examples and case studies from the UK, Europe and around the world to illustrate key issues and concepts.
The module aims to promote understanding of and engagement with:
1) Academic, policy and political/public debates about the meaning of wilderness and rewilding in theory and in practice, paying particular attention to ideas about wildness, naturalness, spatial scale, spatial patterns and histories, and environmental policy.
2) The broad theoretical and practical issues pertaining to wilderness landscapes, rewilding and global ecosystems including their relevance in global, regional and national contexts, policy development, their role in maintaining ecosystem services, management approaches, spatial decision making, and issues surrounding their sustainability and resilience to external pressures.
3) The issues of scale, quality and character in relation to the measurement and evaluation of landscape values.
Students are required to choose one of two semester 2 “majors” either (a) GIS and other spatial modelling techniques, or (b) resource and policy analyses to the study of wilderness, rewilding and global ecosystems. Students will use a variety of relevant research methods to address a variety of wilderness and global ecosystem management problems.
The assessment encourages students to explore debates about theoretical conceptions of wildness/naturalness, and their application in particular contexts.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1) Describe changing and potentially contested conceptions of wildness/naturalness and rewilding in contemporary academic and policy debates, and of links (conceptual and applied) between geography and wilderness ecosystems.
2) Explain/Critically analyse/Synthesise/Evaluate debates about the roles of various actors in promoting wilderness and rewilding.
3) Either (a) apply GIS and other spatial analysis methods to mapping/evaluation of wilderness quality/character and opportunities for rewilding; or (b) apply policy analysis/research methods to decision making and management problems regarding global ecosystems.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1) Information Searching (Academic, Enterprise, Sustainability)
2) Academic Integrity (Academic)
3) Critical Thinking (Academic, Sustainability)
4) Academic Writing (Academic)
5) Technical/IT skills (Work Ready)
6) Problem Solving and Analytical Skills (Work Ready)
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Seminar | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Private study hours | 164 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 36 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
We provide formative feedback on students’ understanding of module material in weekly seminars; these contextualise lecture material through discussion of specific readings and small-scale research tasks. We also support students in reviewing their learning when engaging with the blog by engaging with the blog ourselves to create and build an ongoing conversation. Students are supported in developing their report ideas through in-class discussion, written and verbal feedback on their project proposals. Office hours and/or email communication are available through which they can discuss their blog contributions and report research/writing.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 50 |
| Coursework | Coursework | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Assessment of contribution to module blog (50%) will be via PebblePad consisting of student submission of minimum of 4 short contributions plus 1 long thread plus their comments on peers’ threads and a reflective learning log exploring what the student has learnt through this process. Due to the online, interactive engagement required for this part of the module assessment a direct replacement resit is not available. For any resit required this blog will be replaced with an essay assessment.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 21/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team