Browse Hierarchy BIO772P: Ecosystem Function and Assessment

Ecosystems provide multiple services, yet are under continued and growing threat from human activity. To manage and protect ecosystems and landscapes effectively, we need to understand their characteristics and functions, as well as how they respond to disturbance and change. In this module, we will examine links between key services (e.g. provision of water and biodiversity) and functions (nutrient supply) in the context of global change, covering issues such as predator loss, invasive exotic species, eutrophication and climate warming. Working across aquatic and terrestrial systems, students will learn about contemporary ecological, biogeochemical, molecular-genetic and ecological assessment methods for evaluating the consequences of local and global environmental changes on ecosystem processes. This integrative approach, in which empirical cutting-edge perspectives will be complemented with hands-on practical training, aims to equip students with essential components of the modern ecological toolkit.