Nature Conservation and Landscape Planning (B.Sc.)

Increased demands for efficient nature conservation strategies have created a significant need for specialized professionals in nature conservation and landscape planning. Nature conservation planning and implementation of effective protection, maintenance and development measures needed to fulfill the federal obligation (Art. 20a GG) to safeguard the natural foundation of life requires experts who must be able to cope with the complex tasks of protecting nature and landscape based on sound ecological knowledge in the context of societal requirements – added to this there are also increased international requirements (e.g. EU framework legislation).

The concept and objectives of the bachelor's degree program in Nature Conservation and Landscape Planning are based primarily on the procedures and requirements of nature conservation. A prerequisite for effective action in nature conservation is the natural scientific analysis of ecological relationships. The degree program’s initial focus is on teaching appropriate assessment methods and extensive knowledge of species and habitats as well as the individual landscape factors (soil, water, climate, landscape) and the overall landscape structure.

The data obtained must be subjected to an integrative evaluation and a nature conservation assessment to be able to define the specific objectives for nature conservation and landscape management in the respective area and to then implement these in planning. These objectives include biotope development, connectivity and maintenance, protected area planning, designation and management as well as species protection.

Comprehensive nature conservation as defined by §1 of the Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (Federal Nature Conservation Act) also includes impact regulation, recreational provisions as well as environmental education and information. These are also essential contents of the program. In order to achieve these highly diverse nature conservation goals, targeted strategies and concrete and realizable measures must be developed with regard to the necessary societal acceptance. For this purpose, well-founded knowledge – particularly of the legal, planning and regulatory instruments of nature conservation enforcement – is of crucial importance and thus is another focus of the degree program.

Today, nature conservation can be seen as a promising future growth factor. Demanding EU legal requirements (e.g. Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive) have given nature conservation a significant push in the last years. The degree program offers a broad ecological, floristic-vegetational as well as faunistic education coupled with knowledge of landscape planning tools, legal principles and the ability to process data using modern information systems. This allows graduates to use instruments of nature conservation in a targeted manner. Therefore, graduates have excellent career opportunities both nationally and abroad.

The program at its core teaches

• well-founded ecological knowledge,
• recording methods and extensive knowledge of species,
• evaluation, conservation assessment and (landscape) planning skills,
• (nature conservation) legal knowledge and
• skills to work with geographic information systems.
  
  

Students will be able to independently complete the following tasks, e.g.:

• conservation mapping, analysis and assessment,
• landscape planning tasks (landscape program, landscape framework plan, landscape plan, green structures plan, impact regulation, EIA, SEA, FFH management planning and compatibility assessment, etc.),
• habitat network planning,
• protected area planning and designation processes,
• landscape management,
• species and habitat conservation programs,
• nature conservation monitoring and
• conservation and environmental education.

In the development of the Program and Examination Regulations, focus was placed on a balanced concept that introduces students to different types of classes and examinations.

In addition to the traditional types of instruction such as lectures, seminar and lab/pool classes, the program also includes botanical and zoological identification exercises, vegetation field research, complex outdoor practical courses and excursions. Additionally, there is extensive training in the PC pools enabling students to work with geographic information systems.

In the projects, students are both qualified to solve tasks independently using the knowledge and skills acquired in the program and to work in teams. Between three and five students participate in a project.

Graduates of this bachelor’s degree program have excellent career opportunities both nationally and abroad. The practice-oriented education ensures constant feedback about the expectations and requirements of the labor market and enables immediate adjustment of the program contents to the requirements of professional practice.
A survey conducted amongst alumni of the program revealed diverse career opportunities for graduates. Professional areas after completing the program include:

• nature conservation administration at the federal and state level,
• environmental agencies,
• nature conservation associations,
• expert, planning and engineering firms,
• national and international environmental and nature conservation organizations,
• consulting firms/environmental departments of various companies as well as
• large conservation areas (e.g. national parks, biosphere reserves).

Due to the program’s connection to industry practice and research, there are regular guest lectures during the semester. These are open to students and are well attended, especially by students in the higher semesters. Colloquia on research issues, continuing education seminars and the regularly held Research Day allow higher semester students to prepare well for their final theses.

National cooperation partners maintaining a particularly intensive collaboration include:

• Landesamt für Umweltschutz LSA, Halle (environmental protection agency in Saxony-Anhalt),
• Landesamt für Umwelt und Geologie Freistaat Sachsen, Dresden (environment and geology agency in Saxony),
• Harz National Park,
• Saxon Switzerland National Park,
• Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve,
• Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, in particular the Leipzig field office with the landscape planning department,
• Federal Environmental Foundation,
• Bundesverband Beruflicher Naturschutz e.V. (association of professional nature conservation), especially the working group for landscape planning and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union,
• NABU,
• BUND
  
  

and, in addition, numerous large protected area authorities, Untere Naturschutzbehörden (nature conservation agencies on a regional level), landscape conservation associations, etc.