Method
This type of review is termed 'scoping', and this seeks to identify the important components in the ecology of the plain likely to be impacted by a rise in sea levels. Scoping is often the first step in a formal procedure called Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This is a method to predict the most likely changes if there is a major development or ecological change to a landscape, including the implications for its infrastructure (communications and services) and economy, as well as its wildlife. Some form of EIA is now a legal requirement in many countries.
We use scoping here to encourage you to think of all the important elements - ecological, social, economic - that could be changed by a rise in sea levels in this landscape. The coastal plain beneath the Corbières is very low lying - much of it just a few centimetres above sea level. This is an important wetland habitat and an area with a significant tourist industry. It also has a tradition of agriculture and shellfish farming. The plain itself is the main route into Northern Spain from the rest of Europe.
Your tutor will decide the time and approach you should take with this exercise. You may wish to work in groups and give yourselves specified tasks with deadlines. For example, somebody, could be asked to find the area of land likely to be flooded at specified increases in sea level; somebody else may assess how the communication infrastructure would be affected, or which bird species could be impacted by a loss of coastal wetlands. Within a group you will need to agree the most important areas to address.
Begin by reading the introductory notes and then viewing the sequence of short videos, which will introduce you to the ecology of the region. The most obvious sequence is:
Film 1 - The ecology of the coastal plain of the Languedoc
Film 2 - Economic activity in the landscape
Film 3 - Communications and tourist development
Film 4 - Traditional culture and agriculture
The last film finishes with some prompts that should help start your discussions. Use this to help define tasks and schedules.
If the aim is to complete this exercise in a single session you may rely simply on the material in the films, and derive likely scenarios from the information provided there. More extensive work, using a range of other sources, is also possible and some suggestions are given in the external resources section.
