Applied Ecosystem Ecology

The central idea of the course is to study the mechanisms and processes that control ecosystem functioning via interactions between organisms, the environment and human activities. With a focus on quantitative analyses in lectures and exercises we will analyze systems from the global scale through the ecosystem to the scale of the soil micro-environment in order to understand the functioning of ecosystems and interactions between organisms.

For a global perspective, the course will start with a mini conference where students will present the planetary boundaries concept to each other and discuss the sustainable use of global resources.

Throughout the course, we will analyze the influence and impact of human activities including different land uses, pollution and climate change, as well as potential climate change mitigation strategies including bioenergy production.  The students will learn  to apply the knowledge obtained on the course in the quantitative analyses during exercises and a group report, e.g. to evaluate various environmental footprints of human activities and assess the sustainability of climate change mitigation strategies. The core elements of the course are:

• The global climate system and energy balance

• Characteristics and differences of the global cycles of major elements (C, N, and P) and their interactions

• The triangle of interactions between organisms, processes and the environment

• Succession, diversity and ecosystem functioning and how this affects stability, resistance and resilience of ecosystems

• Evaluation of impacts of human activities through the assessment of the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems