Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in Plant-Soil Systems under Global Change

Abstract

The course covers the dynamics of carbon and nutrient between plants, microbiota, and soils in forested and agricultural landscapes. Through real case studies across pedoclimatic zones, we investigate: (i) carbon and nutrient fluxes from plot to regional scales; (ii) biogeochemical controls on cycling; and (iii) climate and land management effects on carbon fluxes in global change hotspots

Objective

Participants learn to identify, analyze and propose solutions to problems arising from land management and climate change that affect soil carbon and nutrient cycling in forested and agricultural landscapes.

Content

The students will work in groups on specific case studies that include the evaluation and interpretation of ‘real’ data. Part 1: Carbon and nutrient pools and fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of Switzerland o Carbon and nutrient cycles in plants and soils from the plot to national scale o Impacts of land management on biomass and soil carbon o Effects of climatic warming and drought on carbon and nutrient cycling Part 2: Drivers of terrestrial tropical carbon dynamics between plants, microbiota and soil o Weathering and biogeochemistry as controls on (tropical) carbon and nutrient cycles o Relationships between tropical forest growth dynamics, microbiota and soil properties o Feedbacks between soil development, erosion and management on tropical agricultural carbon cycling and crop yields

Resources