NIGK16000U Applied Ecosystem Ecology

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Programme in Biology
MSc Programme in Environmental Science
MSc Programme in Nature Management

Content

The central idea of the course is to study the mechanisms and processes that control ecosystem functioning via interactions between organisms, the environment and human activities. With a focus on quantitative analyses in lectures and exercises we will analyze systems from the global scale through the ecosystem to the scale of the soil micro-environment in order to understand the functioning of ecosystems and interactions between organisms.

For a global perspective, the course will start with a mini conference where students will present the planetary boundaries concept to each other and discuss the sustainable use of global resources.

Throughout the course, we will analyze the influence and impact of human activities including different land uses, pollution and climate change, as well as potential climate change mitigation strategies including bioenergy production.  The students will learn  to apply the knowledge obtained on the course in the quantitative analyses during exercises and a group report, e.g. to evaluate various environmental footprints of human activities and assess the sustainability of climate change mitigation strategies. The core elements of the course are:

  • The global climate system and energy balance

  • Characteristics and differences of the global cycles of major elements (C, N, and P) and their interactions

  • The triangle of interactions between organisms, processes and the environment

  • Succession, diversity and ecosystem functioning and how this affects stability, resistance and resilience of ecosystems

  • Evaluation of impacts of human activities through the assessment of the flow of energy and matter through ecosystems
Learning Outcome

The aim of the course is to give a solid understanding of ecosystem ecology focusing on the role of living organisms for the flow of matter and energy at various scales and the interactions with human activities and climate change. After completing the course students should be able to:

Knowledge:

  • Describe the overall global functioning of the global climate system and the global cycling of major elements
  • Discuss the role of organisms, trophic levels, and diversity for the flow of matter and energy and overall ecosystem functioning
  • Describe the interactions between land use, species composition, and ecosystem functioning
  • Explain how land use and management affects the exchange of greenhouse gases between atmosphere and biosphere
  • Describe the importance of scale for ecosystem functioning from soil aggregate to global scale

 

Skills:

  • Work quantitatively with ecosystem functioning, environmental impacts of different land uses, and assessment of different climate change mitigation strategies
  • Analyze the diversity of the main groups of organisms and its relation to functioning of the environment
  • Extract information from litterature and combine data for performing new analyses

 

Competences:

  • Evaluate the effect of human activities on ecosystems functioning and their ability to provide services to humans and the society
  • Analyze, put into perspective, and criticize original research papers and reports
  • Perform effective written and oral presentations of acquired knowledge

Selected scientific papers and book chapters (see Absalon). For general introduction purposes we use Chapin et al., Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology.

An introductory course in systems ecology is an advantage but not a requirement

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Teaching will be organized in topical modules, each subdivided into lectures, theoretical exercises, paper presentations/​discussions, field/lab demonstrations, and time for group report work.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 100
  • Theory exercises
  • 66
  • Field Work
  • 10
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)

Oral feedback from teacher and peers at student paper presentations and during exercises. Organised oral/written feedback from lecturer's on choice and definition of mini conference / report topic. Feedback from teacher and peers (class) on seminar presentation of report and conference poster presentations. Written feedback on reports.

 

 

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral exam on basis of previous submission, 30 min
Type of assessment details
Submission of report and PICO/poster presentation one week before the oral exam followed by 30 minutes oral examination without preparation. The oral exam is structured as follows:

10 minutes examination of submitted report, starting with a short student presentation.

5 minutes examination of submitted poster.

10 minutes examination of 1 of approx. 10 theoretical exercises from the course. The students draw a random exercise and explain how the exercise question should be addressed.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed (see description below)

Only report and PICO/poster presentation allowed.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as ordinary.

If the student has not submitted the report and PICO/poster presentation, they must submit these 2 weeks before the reexam week.

Criteria for exam assesment

The final grade will be a reflection of the quality of the report and PICO/poster presentation, the ability of the student to explain the background and results of the course report, and content of the PICO/poster, and the ability of the student to understand and explain the theoretical exercise questions presented at the exam as well as the learning outcome of the course.