Credit hours
In-class work per week |
Practice per week |
Credits |
Duration |
Total |
3 |
3 |
8 |
15 weeks |
120 hours |
Instructor
Maria Victoria Ramos Ballester
Objective
This course overall objective is to offer graduate students an overview of fundamentals aspects of ecosystem science, an important part of contemporary ecology. Moreover, the general knowledge of the modern science of ecosystems, currently used to diagnose and solve a wide range of important environmental problems, will be introduced. At the end of the course, the student should have basic knowledge about the main concepts related to ecosystems, biogeochemistry and energy flow. It will also present the main approaches to ecosystem science, unifying concepts and challenges, as well as case studies of natural and anthropogenic, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Content
1. INTRODUCTION: The Anthropocene, the planet under pressure and the science of ecosystems; General Systems Theory; The Ecosystem; Ecosystems properties; Why do we study ecosystems; Earth physical system and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; Ecosystems cybernetics, disturbance and stability; 2. ENERGY FLUXES: Thermodynamics Laws; Energy balance; food chains and food webs; 2.1. PRODUCTION:Primary Production components; How to measure Primary Production; Primary Production regulation factors; Primary Production Destinations; 2.2. CONSUMPTION: Definition of Consumers; Methods to estimate Consumption; Consumption of species, populations and communities; 2.3. DECOMPOSITION: Introduction; Decomposition of organic matter derived from plants; Decomposition controls; 2.4. ECOSYSTEMS NET PRODUCTIVITY; 3. BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES: What is an element cycle; Importance of chemical properties; Action, movement and change: a simple cycle framework; Biogeochemical cycles role in ecosystems; 3.1. WATER CYCLE; 3.2 CARBON CYCLE; 3.3. NITROGEN CYCLE; 3.4. PHOSPHORUS CYCLE; 3.4. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; 4. CASE STUDIES: Native environments and ecosystems affected by humans; 5. ANTHROPOCENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY; 6. ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING PRINCIPLES.
Bibliography
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