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Reconstructing Past Environments

Module description

Reconstructing the history of environmental changeprovides an invaluable insight into the role climate and anthropogenic activity have played in moulding landscapes. This module provides you with a practical introduction into the study of past environmental change over the last 21,000 years. This was a period of tumultuous change, characterised by violent swings in climate as the planet experienced the end of the Last Glacial Cycle. At the same time, with the rapid evolution of human society and the expansion of early cultures, the role of anthropogenic activity in driving the evolution of landscapes became ever more significant. This module presents an overview of Late Quaternary environmental change and introduce a range of techniques used to reconstruct past environments from sedimentary archives. The module structure follows the process of palaeoenvironmental research from initialsample collection, through laboratory, data collection and analysis, and interpretation. The knowledge and skillset developed during this module will offer an excellent grounding to undertake a dissertation project in palaeoenvironmental science. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to introduce the principles and techniques used to reconstruct past climates and environments. The module content is driven by the research expertise of the teaching staff, which lie in the field of long-term ecology and palaeoenvironmental change. The syllabus provides some important background for dissertation topics, which may include recovery of sedimentological archives, development of chronologies, and work with biological proxies such as pollen, spores, and charcoal.

Enquiry-led learning is embedded in the module through guided independent practicals and assessment. Much of the content includes research and applications from the lecturer’s own work on the topic. This includes investigating environmental change over long timescales, the use of sedimentary records, chronology development and a range of microfossil analyses.

This module will help you develop skills to enhance your employability potential and career development through:

• Enhancing your understanding and application of research skills including experimental design, field sampling and statistical methods.
• Providing you with the opportunity to engage in enquiry-led learning through exploring topics of long-term environmental and climate change.
• Developing your communication skills by delivering presentations and producing a written report.
• Developing good practice of contributing to and working in groups through practical exercises and formative work.
• Encouraging you to think critically about how knowledge is applied and communicated in scientific literature and online.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Summarise the theories and techniques involved in palaeoenvironmental science
• 2. Discuss the mechanisms and causes of large climate changes during the late Quaternary
• 3. Describe and apply a range of specialised techniques and approaches to palaeoenvironmental questions and datasets

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Discuss methods and the contested and provisional nature of knowledge and understanding for a range of approaches
• 5. Outline the nature of change and system interconnectedness within physical and human environments
• 6. Explain the significance of spatial relationships and the temporal distribution of physical processes on physical and human environments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Develop independent learning, critical thinking, communication and writing skills
• 8. Formulate and evaluate questions and identify and evaluate approaches to problem-solving
• 9. Identify, acquire, evaluate and synthesise data from a range of sources

Syllabus plan

Taught aspects of the module are likely to include some or all of the following content:

• Introduction to palaeoenvironmental science
• The Earth System and natural climate variability
• The Late-glacial and Holocene periods
• Quaternary archives
• Geochronology and age-depth modelling
• Peatlands and climate change
• Records of vegetation change and fire activity
• Introduction to microfossil analysis
• Time series data analysis and stratigraphic plotting

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Lowe, J.J. and Walker, M.J.C. (2014) Reconstructing Quaternary environments. (3rd ed.) Longman, London.
• Bradley, R.S. (2014) Paleoclimatology: reconstructing climates of the Quaternary. (3rd ed.) Chapman and Hall, London.
• Roberts N. 2014. The Holocene: an environmental history (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.
• Walker, M.J.C. (2005) Quaternary Dating Methods. Wiley, Chichester.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page

Key words search

Ice age, Last Glacial Maximum, Younger Dryas, Holocene, lake sediments, peat bogs, pollen, charcoal, testate amoeba, palaeoclimate, palaeoecology, palaeoenvironment, geochronology, radiocarbon, age-depth modelling