Overordnede kursusmål
The principle goal of the course is that engineering students
obtain a generic scientific understanding of the structure and
functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. This enables them to
evaluate how ecosystem provide services for the human society and
how vulnerable ecosystems are to perturbation by anthropogenic
activities. Emphasis will be given to specific topics of high
relevance to environmental engineering such as soil properties,
bioproduction, biogeochemical cycles, bio-monitoring,
bio-remediation, ecological engineering and impact of human
activities such as air pollution and land-use change.
Læringsmål
En studerende, der fuldt ud har opfyldt kursets mål, vil kunne:
- Evaluate ecosystem behaviour based on a set of principles for
terrestrial ecosystems.
- Understand how soils form and how they affect ecosystem
processes
- Understand basic processes in plant ecophysiology related to
water relations and carbon uptake
- Analyse how terrestrial ecosystems develop and change over
temporal and spatial scales.
- Apply simple mathematical models as predictive tools of
ecosystem behaviour.
- Take samples and measurements in the field, and conduct
laboratory analyses and analyse, report, and present the
results.
- Compare element cycle characteristics of ecosystems of major
biomes in different climates.
- Evaluate nutrient loadings on ecosystem stability based on mass
balance.
- Assess ecosystem services of given ecosystems and envision the
potential for nature based solutions.
- Evaluate the resilience and responses of ecosystems to
perturbation, whether natural or man-made, e.g. climate
change.
Kursusindhold
Environmental issues are often related to human health and impacts
on natural systems, i.e. ecosystems. In this course we will study
what terrestrial ecosystems are and how they work, to be able to
understand the background of environmental regulations and the
potential of ecosystems to solve societal problems. The course
addresses specifically the UN SDG, 15 Life on Land and 13 Climate
Action.
The focus of the course will be mainly on soils, vegetation and
ecosystem - atmosphere interactions. Topics include: Ecosystem
structure, soil characteristics, energy and water cycling, plant
production, soil organic matter, organisms and ecosystem processes,
ecosystem modeling, biogeochemical cycles, global change, ecosystem
services, ecosystem resilience, and environmental impact of
perturbations.
Two practical exercises are included: soil sampling and analysis,
and measurements of plant-atmosphere relations.
Litteraturhenvisninger
Ågren, G.I. and Andersson, F.O.: Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology –
Principles and Applications, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Notes
Manuals for practical exercises.
Sidst opdateret
02. maj, 2024