Ecosystem Change in the Anthropocene

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Cursusdoel

After completing this course students are able to:

1. Describe how major disturbances and human pressures affect ecosystems.
2. Analyse and explain the relation between energy flows and biogeochemical cycling and how these are affected by vegetation and microbes.
3. Explain how ecosystems respond to perturbations and how ecosystem responses are determined by the ecosystem state.
4. Develop and analyse models that provide insight in ecosystem dynamics to design sustainable management strategies.
5. Discuss the interaction between societal processes and ecosystem dynamics.

Relationship between assessment and learning goals:
Description of assignment Assesses which learning goals?
  1. Paper discussion, presentation and discussion handout (groupwork)
  2. Assignment individual model report
  3. Discussion on computer lab and tutorial
  4. Report population model
  5. Poster pitch final assignment
  6. Written exams 1 & 2
 1,5
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,5
1,4
3,4,5
1,2,3,5

Vakinhoudelijk

Note: title change since 2019
You cannot register for this course if you have already taken UCSCIEAR21 under its former title in an earlier semester (Global Processes and Sustainability).

The current world is increasingly influenced by human activities, so far that their imprint can be observed in the geologic record to indicate the start of the proposed new geologic epoch ‘the Anthropocene’. In a world heavily influenced by human activities, one of the most important questions is how to manage our natural resources in a sustainable manner. Answering this question requires knowledge on the functioning of ecosystems and their responses to perturbations and change dependent and independent of human activities. This course addresses several aspects that characterize ecosystem functioning and allows students to develop analytical skills needed to analyse and predict ecosystem responses to perturbations and change.
In the first part of the course, students will become familiar with energy flows and biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems. Students analyse the carbon cycle at a global scale, and assess the effects of major disturbances caused by fossil fuels. Furthermore, students analyse the consequences of nutrient enrichment of natural ecosystems and which sustainable management practices are required to maintain ecosystem functions.
The second part of the course addresses population dynamics and the response of ecosystems to global change drivers. Students analyse the effects of species characteristics and species-species interactions on ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, students become familiar with the different ways how ecosystem can respond to change, such as catastrophic shifts, by developing and analyzing mathematical models.
Throughout the course, students are challenged to apply their knowledge of ecosystem processes to devise sustainable management strategies and discuss the interactions between nature and society from an (integrated) systems perspective.
Format
Content is taught through interactive lectures, followed by group discussions/debates (focused on theory and literature) and computer labs (focused on the development and analysis of mathematical models). Students are asked to summarize their findings from the discussions and assignments in the form of graded reports. Knowledge on the content taught during the lectures and in the assigned readings is tested in an exam. After the exam, students are asked to apply the knowledge gained in the course by studying an ecosystem that is perturbed by a global change driver and by the development of a mathematical ecosystem model. Results are presented in an interactive poster session.

Werkvormen

UCU SCI 2 course

Toetsing

Paper discussion, presentation and discussion handout (groupwork)

Verplicht | Weging 5% | ECTS 0,38

Assignment individual report

Verplicht | Weging 15% | ECTS 1,13

Discussion on computer lab and tutorial

Verplicht | Weging 5% | ECTS 0,38

Report population model

Verplicht | Weging 15% | ECTS 1,13

Poster pitch final assignment

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

*midterm FEEDBACK*

Niet verplicht

Wrtten exam 1

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Wrtten exam 2

Verplicht | Weging 25% | ECTS 1,88

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

En er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

Voorkennis

Students in the Sustainability (SUS) track who do not satisfy the above EAR11/PHY01 requirement, can ask for course admittance if [UCINTSUS21] Sustainability is completed.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Competenties

  • Kritisch lezen
  • Onderzoeksvaardigheden
  • Presenteren
  • Samenwerken

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

Materiaal Omschrijving
DIVERSE References will be provided in the course manual and via Blackboard

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Opmerkingen

You cannot register for this course if you have taken UCSCIEAR21 under its former title in an earlier year (

Coördinator

A. van der Kaaden A.vanderKaaden@uu.nl

Docenten

A. van der Kaaden A.vanderKaaden@uu.nl
prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk m.g.rietkerk@uu.nl
dr. E. Weinans E.Weinans@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

Naar OSIRIS-inschrijvingen
Permanente link naar de cursuspagina
Laat in de Cursus-Catalogus zien