| Global Biogeochemistry: GEOB 400 |
Instructor
Simon Donner
Department of Geography, Room 133
simon.donner@ubc.ca
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11 am - noon, or by appointment
Course details
Schedule: Tues / Thurs, 9:30 - 11 am
Textbook: NO TEXTBOOK REQUIRED. Readings will be made available.
This course examines the processes that control the planetary cycles of carbon, nitrogen and other important elements, the human perturbation of these biogeochemical cycles, and the consequences for the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems. Topics include the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles; greenhouse gases and climate change; biological productivity and nutrient limitation in different systems. Link to course syllabus.
DISCUSSION DETAILS: See list of DISCUSSION GROUPS. Discussion leaders review the DISCUSSION GUIDE. The top discussion review from each week will be made available on the website.
Link to description of RESEARCH PAPER
NOTE: To access readings, you must use a UBC computer or a UBC VPN connection.
2011 SCHEDULE
| Week | Lecture | Background Reading | Discussion Readings |
| Sept 8 | Introduction |
|
|
| Sept 13 | |||
| Sept 15 - NO CLASS | |||
Sept 20 / 22 |
Discussion groups begin |
Excerpts from Harvey (easier to follow description of tropospheric reactions) |
|
Sept 27 / 29 |
|
Excerpt from Aber and Melillo | |
Oct 4 / 6 |
Terrestrial Biogeochemistry I |
Lewis et al. (2011) Nature (very short)! |
|
Oct 11 / 13
|
Terrestial nutrient cycling | ||
Oct 18 / 20 |
Excerpts from Chapin et al. | ||
| Oct 25 / 27 | TBA Paper outline due Oct 25 |
|
|
Nov 1 / 3 |
|
Excerpts from Schlesinger | |
Nov 8 / 10 |
Marine Biogeochemistry II (notes cont'd)
|
||
Nov 15 / 17 |
Carbon Cycle and Climate Feedbacks
|
||
Nov 22 / 24 |
Carbon Cycle and Land use change
|
Crutzen et al. (2009) ACPD (NOTE: For Cruzen et al., read the paper and look at the interactive discussion) |
|
Nov 29 / Dec 1 |
Global Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles Papers due Nov 29 |