Postgraduate Course: Ecosystem Services 1: Ecosystem Dynamics and Functions (PGGE11170)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) |
Other subject area | Environmental Courses |
| Course website |
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/cryan/eco_services/ |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | We all depend on a vast range of services provided by ecosystems, from food and medicines to a stable climate, clean water and storm protection. This course provides an introduction to the ecosystem ecology underlying these services, in particular looking at how ecosystems are structured and function. The course has a very practical ethos and involves fieldwork and analysis of real data from around the globe. It is suitable for students with a wide range of backgrounds.
The course looks at the dynamic nature of ecosystems, which often behave as complex systems. Different ways of representing and modelling such systems are explored through practical exercises and case studies from guest lecturers. The course provides students with the core ecological knowledge needed for Ecosystem Valuation and Management in semester 2. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Lecture | Main session: Crew Annex Room 3 | 1-11 | | 09:00 - 13:00 | | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
1. An understanding of fundamental principles of ecosystem ecology, including how ecosystem structure relates to function, and the dynamics of ecosystems.
2. Practical knowledge of how to measure and model ecosystem structure and function, manage data, and analyse large ecological data sets.
3. Appreciation of the diversity of ecosystem functions and expressions across different time, space and biome scales, illustrated through targeted case studies.
4. Appreciation for how ecosystems respond to and feed back on, global change drivers including climate change, land use change, and biodiversity loss. |
Assessment Information
20% 3-page policy brief on key issue of ecosystem functioning
40% Ecosystem structure practical including group presentation (20%) and individual write up (20%)
40% Examination
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
W1 Overview of Ecosystem Concepts and Global Change
W2 Ecosystems and the global carbon cycle
W3 Fieldwork practical: the structure of forests
W4 The global nitrogen cycle
W5 Biodiversity, niches and species
W6 Fieldwork practical: the biodiversity of coasts
W7 Biodiversity, traits and ecosystem function
W8 Ecosystems as dynamic systems
W9 Modelling human-ecological systems: an example of the global carbon cycle
W10 Student presentations on ecosystem structure
W11 Overview, feedback and exam preparation
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| Transferable skills |
Ecological field work, data collection and management, data analysis using Excel, systems thinking and modelling. Summarising complex scientific issues for non-scientific audiences. Group work and presentations. |
| Reading list |
Reading lists will be provided for each week on WebCT.
The following text is used throughout the course:
&· Chapin, Matson and Mooney (2002) Principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology. Springer
Other literature which gives a flavour of the course content includes:
&· Steffen, W., J. Grinevald, P. Crutzen and J. McNeill (2011). "The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 369(1938): 842-867.
&· Curtis, A (2011). The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts. Part 2 in the BBC TV documentary series All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace. Available online.
&· Gruber N, Galloway JN (2008) An Earth-system perspective of the global nitrogen cycle. Nature 451: 293-296
&· Mumby, P. J. et al (2007) Thresholds and the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. Nature Vol 450 1 Nov 2007.
&· Hooper, D.U. et. al. (2005) Effect of Biodiversity on Ecosystem Functioning: A Consensus of Current Knowledge. Ecological Monographs, 75 (1), 2005, pp 3 - 35.
&· Post, ERO et al (1999). Ecosystem consequences of wolf behavioural response to climate. Nature 401(6756): 905-907.
&· Biggs, R., Carpenter, S.R., Brock, W.A. (2009) Turning back from the brink: Detecting an impending regime shift in time to avert it. PNAS vol 106, no.3, 826-831.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Timeframe (3-4 hours class contact time / week)
Most sessions will include a lecture on key concepts, group discussions and other exercises, and often time in the computer lab to analyse data. There will also be fieldwork sessions involving travel around East Lothian, which may necessitate an earlier start than usual.
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| Keywords | Ecosystem functions, ecosystem dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, productivity, biodiversity, climate |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Casey Ryan
Tel: (0131 6)50 7722
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Christine Wilson
Tel: (0131 6)50 4866
Email: |
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