Terrestrial Ecosystem Processes and Global Change

Knowledge:

The participants will obtain comprehensive understanding of terrestrial ecosystem processes, and of effects of global change on pools, processes and organisms. The focus is on carbon, water and nutrient cycling between plants, soil and atmosphere. Carbon balance and its components photosynthesis and respiration is addressed and linked to water use efficiency and stress physiology and processes at leaf, plant and canopy level. Belowground processes as decomposition, plant nutrient uptake, mobilization and immobilization of nutrients, plant-microbe-animal interactions, rhizosphere processes and mycorrhizal function are also addressed, with focus on global change aspects.

Skills:

The participants will obtain insight into the cycling of carbon, water and nutrient cycling between plants, soil, soil organisms and atmosphere, and skills to dissiminate this knowledge to fellow students and non-specialists. This includes experience in relevant methods for data acquisition. Field and laboratory work is performed and the data are presented in a report which includes statistical analysis of data and discussion of results. It is mandatory for the participants to present one or two journal papers with relation to the subjects taught in the lectures.

Competences:

TThe student will achieve in-depth knowledge of carbon, water and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and on potential effects of environmental changes on key ecosystem processes. The student will obtain the necessary theoretical insight to be able to understand and comment critically on issues such as effects of climatic change, nitrogen deposition and changed land use on ecosystem function and feedback processes to the environment.