701-1646-00L Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in a Changing Climate and Land-Use
| Semester | Spring Semester 2021 |
| Lecturers | F. Hagedorn, T. Crowther, S. Dötterl |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Comment | Number of participants limited to 25. Waiting list will be deleted after 01.03.2021 Registratioin possible until 09.03.2021 |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701-1646-00 G | Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in a Changing Climate and Land-Use | 3 hrs |
| F. Hagedorn, T. Crowther, S. Dötterl |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | The course covers the pools and fluxes of carbon and nutrients in forests and dynamic landscapes and how they are affected by a changing climate and land-use. Specifically, the course explores carbon and nutrient cycling: (i) in vegetation and soils at the plot to global scale; (ii) the role of abiotic soil properties as controls; and (iii) the effects of climate changes and land management. |
| Learning objective | The students learn to identify, analyze and propose solutions for problems associated with land management and climate change on carbon and nutrient cycling in forests and dynamic landscapes. |
| Content | After short thematic introductions, the students will work in small groups on the following topics: Part 1 Carbon and nutrient pools and fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of Switzerland o Carbon and nutrient cycles from the plot to national scale o Impacts of land use changes on biomass and soil carbon o Effects of soil warming and drought Part 2: Rock, soil, sediment: Geomorphic cascades and soil weathering o Weathering and geochemistry as controls on carbon and nutrient cycles o Feedbacks between soil development, soil transport and soil loss for carbon cycling o Global patterns and consequences of disturbance for soil landscapes Part 3: Global biogeochemical cycles and climate change o Global biogeochemical cycles and impacts on climate o Carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change o Changes in global nutrient balance The students will work on specific projects which includes the evaluation and interpretation of data as well as the preparation of a presentation either as a poster, report or a talk. |
| Prerequisites / Notice | Apart from a background in terrestrial ecosystems, the students must have basic knowledge in soil sciences, plant nutrition, and biogeochemical cycles. Given that the background of the students will be very heterogeneous, the course will build on individual learning and interactive teaching. The format of the course is that the students work in small groups of 2 or 3 members on a small project in each of the three parts of the course. Introductory information will be given on the first day of the course and at the beginning of each part. For structuring the project, homework will be given from week to week. Each group will do a poster presentation (end of part 1), a short report (end of part 2) and an oral presentation (end of part 3) on their respective subjects. Active participation at all contact hours is compulsory for all students. |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 5 credits |
| Examiners | F. Hagedorn, T. Crowther, S. Dötterl |
| Type | graded semester performance |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | Repetition only possible after re-enrolling for the course unit. |
Learning materials
| Main link | Link to seminar |
| Only public learning materials are listed. | |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| Places | 25 at the most |
| Waiting list | until 01.03.2021 |
| End of registration period | Registration only possible until 09.03.2021 |
Offered in
| Programme | Section | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences Master | Applications | W |  |
| Environmental Sciences Master | Natural Science Foundations | W | |