Ecosystems are under continued and growing threat from human activity. To conserve them we need to understand how ecosystems function and how they respond to either enforced or natural change. Ecosystem services such as the provision of freshwater, fisheries, and even climate regulation are mediated by key ecosystem functions (fluxes of energy, nutrients and organic matter). Here you will gain expertise in contemporary ecological, biogeochemical, molecular-genetic and ecological assessment methods to evaluate the consequences of local and global environmental changes (including predator loss, invasion of non-native species and climate warming). Empirical, cutting-edge perspectives are complemented with hands-on training in practical ecological assessment methods - key to conservation and those interested in either ecological consultancy or academia.
This module aims to offer you a variety of perspectives on ecosystem function and their quantitative assessment. Together, they provide insights into the toolbox of empirical and practical ecological assessment to deliver a mechanistic understanding of ecosystems.
