During the summer semester 2010, the Research Group Ecosystem Services will organise a course on "Ecosystem Services and Land Use" at the Humboldt University Berlin. The course is geared toward Bachelor’s and Master’s students in geography or related disciplines. In this context, Holger Gerdes, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, will teach a class on the valuation of ecosystem services.

In total, 14 seminars in the form of lectures, discussions and presentations have been organised. A five-day excursion to the biosphere reserve Upper Lusatia is also planned.

The objective of the course is to learn about theory and practice of social-ecological research, the so-called “third pillar” of geography. Particularly, the focus of the course is the relationship between land use, ecosystem services and quality of life in central European cultural landscapes.

In the context of this course, Holger Gerdes, Fellow at Ecologic Institute and member of the Research Group Ecosystem Services, will teach a class on approaches for the economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Further Links:

• Course catalogue of the Humboldt University Berlin
• Homepage of the Research Group Ecosystem Services
• Ecologic Project: Market-Based Instruments for Ecosystem Services