| Kurzbeschreibung | This course focuses on the interactions between ecology, biogeochemistry and management of agro- and forest ecosystems, thus, coupled human-environmental systems. Students learn how human impacts on ecosystems via management or global change are mainly driven by effects on biogeochemical cycles and thus ecosystem functioning, but also about feedback mechanisms of terrestrial ecosystems. |
| Lernziel | Students will analyse and understand the complex and interacting processes of ecology, biogeochemistry and management of agroecosystems, be able to analyze large meteorological and flux data sets, and evaluate the impacts of weather events and management practices, based on real-life data. Moreover, students will be able to coordinate and work successfully in small (interdisciplinary) teams. |
| Inhalt | Agroecosystems play a major role in all landscapes, either for production purposes, ecological areas or for recreation. The human impact of any management on the environment is mainly driven by effects on biogeochemical cycles. Effects of global change impacts will also act via biogeochemistry at the soil-biosphere-atmosphere-interface. Thus, ecosystem functioning, i.e., the interactions between ecology, biogeochemistry and management of terrestrial systems, is the science topic for this course.
Students will gain profound knowledge about biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gas fluxes in managed grassland and/or cropland ecosystems. Responses of agroecosystems to the environment, i.e., to climate and weather events, but also to management will be studied. Different meteorological and greenhouse gas flux data will be analysed (using R) and assessed in terms of production, greenhouse gas budgets and carbon sequestration. Thus, students will learn about the complex interactions of a coupled human-environmental system.
Students will work with real-life data from the long-term measurement network Swiss FluxNet. Data from the intensively managed grassland site Chamau will be used to investigate the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of CO2, H2O, N2O and CH4. Functional relationships will be identified, greenhouse gas budgets will be calculated for different time periods and in relation to management over the course of a year. |
| Skript | Handouts will be available on the webpage of the course. |
| Literatur | Will be discussed in class. |
| Voraussetzungen / Besonderes | Prerequisites: Attendance of introductory courses in plant ecophysiology, ecology, and grassland or forest sciences. Knowledge of data analyses in R and statistics. Course will be taught in English. |
Leistungskontrolle als Semesterkurs