Course manual 2021/2022

Course content

Current environmental research has to meet the challenges of climate change and other human-made impacts. The cycle of major elements in ecosystems depends on interactions between organisms and their abiotic environment and will be affected by these environmental changes at different scales, i.e. from local to global and from the molecular to the landscape level. This course focus on fluxes of elements and substances in soils and their impacts on the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.

Special attention will be paid to:

Soil as a habitat for (micro)organisms and as a reactor controlling biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems
Important processes and boundary conditions regulating cycles of C, N, P and pollutants
Importance of soil organic matter for biogeochemical cycles in a changing environment and feedback reactions to global change
Approaches to quantify biogeochemical cycles and their controlling processes
Interaction of biogeochemical cycles and (in)organic pollutants

Topics of the different lectures:

Introduction to important principles of Biogeochemistry
Introduction to physiology and biochemistry of soil organisms and important soil habitats
Carbon cycling and formation of soil organic matter including approaches for quantification, effects of climate change, linkage between terrestrial and aquatic systems
Computer practical metal speciation modelling
Relevance of Dissolved Organic Matter
Role of N in ecosystem functioning and management
Use of stable isotopes of C and N in Biogeochemistry
Biogeochemical cycling of N and P in dune ecosystems
Biogeochemical cycling of metals and (in)organic pollutants

Study materials

Literature

A good book covering the topic Biogeochemistry is:

Schlesinger, W. H., Bernhardt, E. S. (2013). Biogeochemistry: an Analysis of Global Change. Third Edition. Academic Press.

Other

To prepare yourself for the lecturers, one or two scientific papers for each lecture will be mentioned on Canvas.

Objectives

Describe the broad field of bio-geological processes controlling the cycle of major elements like C, N, P and pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems with a focus on soil processes, including the effects of changes in climate and land-use on these element cycles
Present and discuss one of the topics of the course in a conference oral presentation and one in a poster session
Apply this knowledge in writing a summary of a scientific paper of biogeochemistry
Present, discuss and analyze approaches to study biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems and feedback reactions with an externa expert

Teaching methods

Lecture
Computer lab session/practical training
Fieldwork/excursion
Presentation/symposium
Self-study
Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

Lectures, self-tuition, writing an abstract and presentations given by students, an excursion, computer practicum and a poster (presentation). In the first weeks of the course lectures will be given addressing the various topics mentioned above. This will be followed by an excursion to a research institute and field site in Germany. At this site various approaches of quantifying biogeochemical cycles in different ecosystems will be visualized which are theoretically discussed during the lectures. These sites may also be used for student’s master thesis projects. In addition, the students will be required to present a poster presentations on one of the topics discussed during the lectures. We will finish the course with an exam.

Learning activities

Activity	Number of hours
Lectures	22
Computer practical	2
Field excursion	16
Test	3
Presentations	4
Self study	121
Total	168

Attendance

This programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (TER part B).

Additional requirements for this course:

The students are urged to be present at all lectures because of the intensity and extent of information in this course. The fieldwork, the computer practical and the assignments “writing a summary”, the paper presentation as well as the poster pitch presentation are mandatory components of the course. No resits or extra assignments will be organised if students fail to attend these activities.

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade
0.55 (55%) Exam	Must be ≥ 5.5
0.15 (15%) Poster and Poster Pitch	NAP if missing
0.15 (15%) Presentation of a scientific paper	NAP if missing
0.15 (15%) Writing a summary of a scientific paper	NAP if missing

Inspection of assessed work

Contact the course coordinator to make an appointment for inspection.

Assignments

Writing a summary of a scientific paper

In the second week of the course all student have to write a summary of a scientific paper. This is an individual assignment, which will be graded and feedback will be given afterwards.

Presentation of a scientific article

All students will have to give a presentation based on a scientific article on a pre-determined topic. A PhD student or a Postdoc working on that topic will lead the discussion based on the presentation. This is an individual assignment, which will be graded and feedback will be given afterwards.

Poster and poster pitch

At the end of the third week, the students have to make and present a poster in a short poster presentation pitch. We will make a list from the topics of the lecturers. The students have to pick a topic from that list. The presentation will be poster elevator pitch of 2 minutes. The grade for the poster will be based on the design of the poster (based on the criteria mentioned in the poster design tutorial) and the poster pitch. This is an individual assignment and feedback will be given afterwards.

Final exam

On one of the last days of the course there will be a final exam, based on the content of the lectures and the field-site visit.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Week	Content
1	Lectures Introduction into Biogeochemistry Soil organisms and habitats Carbon cycle: Introduction and processes Carbon cycle: Quantification of processes Carbon cycle: Soil Organic Matter
2	Assignment: article presentation Excursion to fieldsite "Veluwe" Lectures Nitrogen cycling Assignment: Writing a summary Nitrogen cycling Computer practical
3	Lectures Nitrogen cycle Carbon and Nitrogen stable Isotopes Contaminants: metals and (in)organic compounds Nitrogen and Phosphorous cycling in dune ecosystems Relevance of Dissolved Organic Matter Poster presentation
4	Final Exam

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

The student is required to have...

Basis knowledge in soil and water chemistry
Basic knowledge in soil science
Basic knowledge in terrestrial ecology

Travel and lodging (including breakfeast) during the excursion are covered, however, the students are expected to cover the costs of their own diner.

Contact information

Coordinator

A. Tietema

Staff

dr. Albert Tietema (a.tietema@uva.nl)
dr. Boris Jansen (b.jansen@uva.nl)
dr. Annemieke. M. Kooijman (a.m.Kooijman@uva.nl)
dr. Elly M. Morriën (w.m.morrien@uva.nl)
dr. Antonia Praetorius (a.praetorius@uva.nl)
prof dr Roland Bol (r.a.p.f.bol@uva.nl)
prof dr Franciska de Vries (f.t.devries@uva.nl)

Owner	Master Earth Sciences
Coordinator	A. Tietema
Part of	Master Earth Sciences, track Environmental Management, Master Earth Sciences, track Geo-Ecological Dynamics, Master Earth Sciences, track Future Planet Ecosystem Science, Minor Science for Sustainability, year 1

Geo-ecological Systems in a Changing World: Carbon, Nitrogen and Pollutants