12145 Terrestrial Ecology for Engineers

2024/2025

Kursusinformation
Terrestrial Ecology for Engineers
Engelsk
5
Kandidat
Kurset udbydes som enkeltfag
Retningsspecifikt kursus (MSc), Environmental Engineering
Teknologisk specialisering (MSc), Environmental Engineering
E4B (fre 8-12)
Campus Lyngby
Lectures, theoretical and practical exercises
13-uger
E4B, F4B
Skriftlig eksamen og bedømmelse af rapport(er)
Mundtlige præsentationer af rapporter
Skriftlig eksamen: 3 timer
Alle hjælpemidler - uden adgang til internettet
7-trins skala , intern bedømmelse
Andreas Ibrom , Lyngby Campus, Bygning 115 , anib@dtu.dk
12 Institut for Miljø- og Ressourceteknologi
I studieplanlæggeren
Dette kursus giver den studerende en mulighed for at lave eller forberede et projekt som kan deltage i DTUs studenterkonference om bæredygtighed, klimateknologi og miljø (GRØN DYST). Se mere på http://www.groendyst.dtu.dk
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