Wartime Challenges for the Environment and Ecosystem Services

Course: «Geoecology and Ecosystem Services»

Structural unit: The Faculty of Geography

Title
Wartime Challenges for the Environment and Ecosystem Services
Code
ВБ2.1.08
Module type
Вибіркова дисципліна для ОП
Educational cycle
First
Year of study when the component is delivered
2025/2026
Semester/trimester when the component is delivered
6 Semester
Number of ECTS credits allocated
3
Learning outcomes
LO01. Collect, process, and analyze information in the fields of Earth sciences, geoecology, marketing, and the restoration of ecosystem services. LO14. Participate in developing projects and practical recommendations in the fields of Earth sciences, geoecology, and the organization of ecosystem services. LO16. Understand fundamental ecological laws, regulations, and principles regarding environmental protection, natural resource use, and the organization of ecosystem services. LO17. Understand key concepts, as well as theoretical and practical issues in the natural sciences, necessary for analysis and decision-making in the areas of geoecology, environmental protection, optimal natural resource use, and the organization of ecosystem services. LO22. Assess the state, stability, and reliability of geosystems, as well as the value of ecosystem services.
Form of study
Full-time form
Prerequisites and co-requisites
1. Know the fundamental concepts of geoecology, biogeography, landscape science, and landscape ecology, as well as the principles governing the functioning of Ukraine’s nature reserve fund. 2. Be able to classify types of anthropogenic impact on environmental components (soils, groundwater, atmospheric air) and assess the consequences of their chemical and physical pollution. 3. Possess the skills to process scientific literature and analytical data in order to identify environmental risks resulting from military activities.
Course content
This academic discipline is dedicated to examining the complex impact of war on the environment and the transformation of ecosystem services during armed conflicts. The course covers the theoretical foundations of military ecology, the mechanisms of physical and chemical pollution affecting geosystems, the extent of biodiversity degradation, and the challenges facing protected natural areas. Particular attention is given to the study of "belligerative" (war-affected) landscapes as a new post-war reality, the analysis of losses in ecosystem services, and strategies for the geo-ecological rehabilitation of damaged landscapes. The discipline aims to foster a systemic understanding of the link between military aggression and long-term climatic and landscape changes.
Recommended or required reading and other learning resources/tools
1. Захист і відновлення екологічної рівноваги та забезпечення самовідновлення екосистем: Колективна монографія / за заг. ред. Т.О. Чайки. – Полтава: ПП «Астрая», 2023. – 308 с. 2. Ґрунтовий покрив України в умовах воєнних дій: стан, виклики, заходи з відновлення: Монографія / за ред. С.А. Балюка, А.В. Кучера, М.І. Ромащенка. – К.: Аграрна наука, 2024. – 340 с. 3. Екологічна і біологічна безпека в умовах війни: реалії України: Збірник матеріалів науково-практичної конференції (Київ, 19-20 липня 2023 р.). – К., 2023. – 114 с. 4. Білоус Л.Ф. Екосистемні послуги в умовах війни: загрози, втрати та перспективи відновлення // Природнича наука та освіта: збірник наукових праць. – Полтава, 2023. – С. 45–48. 5. Білоус Л.Ф. Вплив воєнних дій на екосистемні послуги: теоретико-методологічні аспекти оцінювання // Географія та екологія: наука і освіта: Матеріали Х Всеукраїнської науково-практичної конференції. – Умань: Візаві, 2024. – С. 12–15.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
lecture, independent work practical session practical class
Assessment methods and criteria
execution of a team task, discussion, assessment
Language of instruction
Ukrainian

Lecturers

This discipline is taught by the following teachers

Dmytro Victorovich Ivanok
Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology
The Faculty of Geography

Departments

The following departments are involved in teaching the above discipline

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology
The Faculty of Geography