Capstone course in which students solve complex real-world land-use problems, for which no single correct solution exists. Students work in project teams and take the role of consultants. They integrate the knowledge acquired during their previous studies and deepen their analysis, problem-solving and writing skills.

Lectures, exercises and excursions serve as an introduction to atmospheric sciences, soil science and hydrology. Students gain a broad vision of the cutting edge topics that are being researched and studied at D-USYS and D-BAUG at ETH, Eawag, and WSL. This will be the base for a future dialog between the field of landscape architecture and the field of natural sciences and engineering.

Measurements are the sole judge of scientific truth and provide access to unpredictable information, enabling the characterization and monitoring of complex terrestrial systems. Based on lectures and field- and laboratory training, the students learn to apply modern methods to determine forest inventory parameters and to measure subsurface properties and processes.

The course provides theoretical and practical foundations for understanding and characterizing physical soil properties and processes and their relevance for terrestrial ecosystems, plant growth, hydrological processes and atmospheric-land gas exchange, across all relevant scales.

During three full-day field trips and two half-day field exercises, various aspects of soil morphology, soil genesis, and soil functioning are discussed using practical examples.

Introduction to the formation and properties of soils as a function of parent rock, landscape position, climate, and soil organisms. Complex relationships between soil forming processes, physical and chemical soil properties, soil biota, and ecological soil properties are explained and illustrated by numerous examples.

Introduction to the formation and properties of soils as a function of parent rock, landscape position, climate, and soil organisms. Complex relationships between soil forming processes, physical and chemical soil properties, soil biota, and ecological soil properties are explained and illustrated by numerous examples.

In this practical, students get to know important field and laboratory methods of forest and landscape research as well as landscape management. They apply these methods in the context of small projects. The practical consists of three parts: Ecology (both forest and landscape), Site Classification (soil science & vegetation science), and Land Management.

Students work in teams to develop an interdisciplinary question, research the literature required to answer it and create an overview of the scientific facts. On this basis, they then create information material for a non-scientific audience in a selected media form (video or infographic).

Water limitation is a primary constraint on plant growth and terrestrial fluxes worldwide. In this course, the principles of water flow in soil and plants are discussed, with particular attention on the effect of drought on root water uptake, transpiration and plant growth. Strategies of plants to tolerate drought are discussed in relation to both agricultural and ecological implications.

Water limitation is a worldwide constraint on plant growth and ecosystem functions and a spread cause of tree mortality. Here, we learn methods and approaches to estimate and explain causes and consequences of water limitations from plant physiology to ecosystem. We will work in groups, analyze data from the literature and compare approaches and scales.