ELSIS can offer courses and one-to-one writing consultations . See their timetable for details of where and when.
For more details, contact a.picot@mmu.ac.uk for further information.
Monday 28 January 2013
EGS Seminar – Tuesday 29th January 2013
Tuesday 29th January 2013, Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00pm.
Integrating Ecology and Human Health
Konstantinos Tzoulas, MMU
Urbanisation has led to specialisation within ecology and to a renewed focus on health promotion. Health promotion focuses on creating the social, economic, and environmental conditions which promote health. Urban ecology studies the species, habitats and ecosystems within and surrounding cities. Both disciplines emphasize an important role of ecosystems in promoting human health. How could the contributions of urban ecology to health promotion be identified, quantified and managed? What are the key opportunities for and barriers to integrating these two disciplines? This presentation aims to provide an overview of the conceptual, theoretical and practical links between urban ecology and health promotion. This overview is based on five research projects that used literature and best practice reviews, conceptual modelling, the delphi technique, non-participant observation and bibliometric and content analysis. The outcomes of this research included a conceptual framework; an international research agenda; an understanding of naturalistic urban landscapes; and conceptual maps of practical initiatives and of disciplines involved in linking urban ecology and health promotion. These outcomes contribute to understanding the links between social and ecological systems and between ecosystem and human health. However, there is need for further research in overcoming the barriers to inter- trans- and multi- disciplinary integration.
Integrating Ecology and Human Health
Konstantinos Tzoulas, MMU
Urbanisation has led to specialisation within ecology and to a renewed focus on health promotion. Health promotion focuses on creating the social, economic, and environmental conditions which promote health. Urban ecology studies the species, habitats and ecosystems within and surrounding cities. Both disciplines emphasize an important role of ecosystems in promoting human health. How could the contributions of urban ecology to health promotion be identified, quantified and managed? What are the key opportunities for and barriers to integrating these two disciplines? This presentation aims to provide an overview of the conceptual, theoretical and practical links between urban ecology and health promotion. This overview is based on five research projects that used literature and best practice reviews, conceptual modelling, the delphi technique, non-participant observation and bibliometric and content analysis. The outcomes of this research included a conceptual framework; an international research agenda; an understanding of naturalistic urban landscapes; and conceptual maps of practical initiatives and of disciplines involved in linking urban ecology and health promotion. These outcomes contribute to understanding the links between social and ecological systems and between ecosystem and human health. However, there is need for further research in overcoming the barriers to inter- trans- and multi- disciplinary integration.
Thursday 24 January 2013
FT Student Progress Tutorials
Hi Everyone,
All full-time MSc students are required to attend a face-to-face Progress Tutorial this term. The purpose of the tutorial is to:
The tutorial will take place either with myself, or Dr Kosta Tzoulas – the schedule of slots allocated to each of you is available to download >HERE< as a PDF document (and emailed to you as a Word Document).
All these tutorials will take place on Wednesday 6th February – in the morning, between 9am and 11:40am. Please make arrangements to attend your designated slot in the next couple of weeks to ensure you attend. Please also arrive slightly early, so you can start your slot on time – we cannot afford to run over as you all have a lecture at 12pm. Your tutorial will last for 20 minutes.
Please note that one of the key issues to be discussed is your preferred MSc project dissertation topic. You need to spend some time thinking about this over the next couple of weeks as it determines who we allocate to supervise you (we try and match a staff member with a similar research area) and it will help with the process of finding a placement (if you wish to go on placement – which is optional).
We look forward to seeing you on the 6th.
Mark
All full-time MSc students are required to attend a face-to-face Progress Tutorial this term. The purpose of the tutorial is to:
- Review your marks and discuss any potential academic issues
- Review your attendance at lectures – and general engagement (e.g attendance at departmental research seminars and other events)
- Determine if we will let you go on placement during your project dissertation – or if it would be better for you to undertake a ‘traditional’ MSc project on campus
- Discuss and hopefully ascertain your preferred choice of MSc dissertation project topic
- Review your career aspirations, and see what you need to achieve in order to meet them
The tutorial will take place either with myself, or Dr Kosta Tzoulas – the schedule of slots allocated to each of you is available to download >HERE< as a PDF document (and emailed to you as a Word Document).
All these tutorials will take place on Wednesday 6th February – in the morning, between 9am and 11:40am. Please make arrangements to attend your designated slot in the next couple of weeks to ensure you attend. Please also arrive slightly early, so you can start your slot on time – we cannot afford to run over as you all have a lecture at 12pm. Your tutorial will last for 20 minutes.
Please note that one of the key issues to be discussed is your preferred MSc project dissertation topic. You need to spend some time thinking about this over the next couple of weeks as it determines who we allocate to supervise you (we try and match a staff member with a similar research area) and it will help with the process of finding a placement (if you wish to go on placement – which is optional).
We look forward to seeing you on the 6th.
Mark
Tuesday 22 January 2013
TODAY: EGS Seminar – Tuesday 22nd January 2013
Tuesday 22nd January 2013, Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00pm.
Palaeopollution and Vegetation Change associated with Early Mining and Metallurgy in the British Isles and Beyond
Tim Mighall, University of Aberdeen
This presentation aims to review the environmental impacts that have occurred as a result of prehistoric and Roman mining and/or metallurgy, based on pollen-analytical and geochemical research from sites in Britain and Ireland. The pollen and geochemical evidence shows a commonality in the nature of the impact across sites in Britain, Ireland and on the European mainland. Woodland impact was negligible during prehistory while more sizeable but ultimately non-permanent impacts are recorded during the Iron Age and Roman period. The lack of substantial woodland clearance is surprising given the estimates for large-scale wood consumption in those mines employing the use of fire-setting. Even though the overall impact on woodlands appears to have been limited, it does not mean that woodland was not exploited during prehistory. Clear impacts are recorded on individual taxa but they vary from site to site.
There are several factors influencing the nature of vegetation change associated with mining, including the natural density of local woodland and the intensity and duration of the mining activity. Major tree and shrub taxa are mainly exploited at each site and the evidence for selectivity of wood fuel is not consistently observed. Variations in the pollen record are complemented by changes in the concentrations of heavy metals determined from the peat profiles. Although there is a common narrative of historical lead and metal pollution across much of Europe, there are, nevertheless, local histories showing important differences, which can be of particular interest for historical and archaeological studies and studies of regional environmental change.
Palaeopollution and Vegetation Change associated with Early Mining and Metallurgy in the British Isles and Beyond
Tim Mighall, University of Aberdeen
This presentation aims to review the environmental impacts that have occurred as a result of prehistoric and Roman mining and/or metallurgy, based on pollen-analytical and geochemical research from sites in Britain and Ireland. The pollen and geochemical evidence shows a commonality in the nature of the impact across sites in Britain, Ireland and on the European mainland. Woodland impact was negligible during prehistory while more sizeable but ultimately non-permanent impacts are recorded during the Iron Age and Roman period. The lack of substantial woodland clearance is surprising given the estimates for large-scale wood consumption in those mines employing the use of fire-setting. Even though the overall impact on woodlands appears to have been limited, it does not mean that woodland was not exploited during prehistory. Clear impacts are recorded on individual taxa but they vary from site to site.
There are several factors influencing the nature of vegetation change associated with mining, including the natural density of local woodland and the intensity and duration of the mining activity. Major tree and shrub taxa are mainly exploited at each site and the evidence for selectivity of wood fuel is not consistently observed. Variations in the pollen record are complemented by changes in the concentrations of heavy metals determined from the peat profiles. Although there is a common narrative of historical lead and metal pollution across much of Europe, there are, nevertheless, local histories showing important differences, which can be of particular interest for historical and archaeological studies and studies of regional environmental change.
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