Forest Engineering – Curitibanos Campus

20/03/2020 17:40

The Forest Engineering program prepares professionals with the necessary skills to: promote development through the correct management and use of Brazilian forests; encourage social development with impact on national resource dependent communities; and contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity and environmental balance through research and outreach activities.

Strategically placed in a region of great economic and historical background on the use of forest resources in Brazil, the program allows students the opportunity of contact with different sectors of their professional activity.

Profile of the graduate

The Forest Engineer graduated from UFSC should be able to face the challenges of the contemporary world with a wide-ranging and solid academic-scientific formation that allows for the broadening of knowledge and competencies, a critical spirit, and an ethical, social and political understanding that contribute to the solution of ever more complex problems in Forest Engineering.

Fields of work

The Forest Engineering degree is sought by people who find that working in an office or a laboratory is not enough and look for jobs that combine high technology and outdoor activities. Thus, there are five main fields of work for the forest engineer:

1) Geomatics: It comprises the surveying and mapping of natural and planted forest areas through geoprocessing techniques, geographic information systems and topography. This involves the study of permanent preservation areas (APPs), legal reserve and effective cultivation areas, for the elaboration of maps and forest planting projects, being a fundamental area that gives support to the other fields of work.

2) Forestry: It comprises the implementation and maintenance of natural and planted forests, including the study of seeds, seedling production techniques, genetic improvement, soil preparation, establishment of plantings, protection against fire and biotic agents, agroforestry systems, among other activities.

3) Forest Management: It comprises the monitoring and management of natural and planted forests in order to obtain forest products. This involves measurement, inventories, silvicultural treatments (thinning and pruning), harvesting and transportation of timber, as well as other aspects of forest production and economy.

4) Nature Conservation: This is an important area of work, due to the multiple challenges created by the need of knowing the ecosystems better in order to conciliate development with biodiversity maintenance. The study of flora, climate and soils, fauna and watershed management, recovery of degraded areas, management of parks, natural areas and urban ecosystems are, among others, the fields of knowledge required to meet these challenges.

5) Forest Products Technology: This is the last stage of the forest-based production process, since it is linked to the transformation of raw material into the most various products, framed as “Timber Forest Products” (TFP – any product obtained from timber) or “Non-Timber Forest Products” (NTFP – any product obtained from forest or forest farming, other than timber). This context involves the development of industrial processes, studies on the adequacy of raw materials for industrial use, technological studies on pulp and paper production processes, wood panels (MDF, MDP, HDF, etc.), sawing, drying and preservation of wood, technological characterization of wood from anatomical, chemical, physical and mechanical properties, use of forest biomass for energy production, control and quality management in the wood industry, among others.

Learn more about the Forest Engineering program by watching this video (in Portuguese):

 

Program Length:
10 semesters (5 years)
Website: http://engenhariaflorestal.ufsc.br/
Classes may be held in the morning, afternoon and evening.