Swedish name: Arktisk geoekologi
This syllabus is valid: 2012-03-26 valid to 2012-04-08 (newer version of the syllabus exists)
Syllabus for courses starting after 2012-04-09
Syllabus for courses starting before 2012-04-08
Course code: 5GV040
Credit points: 15
Education level: Second cycle
Main Field of Study and progress level:
Earth Science/Physical Geography: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Biology: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Grading scale: Three-grade scale
Responsible department: Department of Ecology and Environmental Science
The course examines global environmental changes and their consequences for biogeochemical processes in arctic and subarctic ecosystems. Theoretical studies are combined with practical field studies. The course has a strong connection to on-going research.
The course is divided into two parts:
Part 1. Biogeochemical processes and the climate in Arctic and Subarctic environments, 7.5 ECTS credits
This part gives extended knowledge about biogeochemical processes in Arctic and Subarctic environments and how these affect the aquatic ecosystem. The linkage between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, transport of nutrients and green house gases are emphasized. Effects of past and present climate change on biological and geochemical processes and feedback mechanisms to the climate system are of special importance. The local climate and future climate change is discussed and excursions to different types of ecosystems is included.
Part 2. Project work, 7.5 ECTS credits
This part includes an extended study of abiotic/biotic processes in an arctic-subarctic ecosystem. The study can be conducted individually or in a group and be based on a combination of own sampled and previously published data. One part of the study should be field work and analysis of samples. The data should be evaluated and presented as a written report and at a seminar. The project work should be conducted in a scientific way.
On completion of the course the student should be able to:
Part 1
- analyse different biogeochemical processes in the Arctic and Subarctic environment and explain how these can affect the aquatic ecosystems
- describe the coupling between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and transport of nutrients and green-house gases in the Arctic and Subarctic environment
- analyse different effects of climate change on the Arctic and Subarctic ecosystem and understand feedback mechanisms of green-house gases on the climate system
Part 2
- show ability to plan, perform and document a project
- report and substanciate results and findings orally and in writing
- analyse, evaluate and discuss scientific reports
120 ECTS credits including 60 ECTS credits in Earth science/Physical Geography or Biology or equvivalent knowledge Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English A (IELTS (Academic) with a minimum overall score of 5.5 and no individual score below 5.0. TOEFL PBT (Paper-based Test) with a minimum total score of 530 and a minimum TWE score of 4. TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test) with a minimum total score of 72 and a minimum score of 17 on the Writing Section). Where the language of instruction is Swedish, applicants must prove proficiency in Swedish to the level required for basic eligibility for higher studies.
The teaching includes lectures, aquatic, terrestrial and paleolimnological field and laboratory techniques. An extended project work is obligatory. The project will be presented in a written report and at a seminar.
Examination of the course is both in the form of written exam and an oral and written presentation of a project. The project should analyze processes relevant for the subarctic-alpine communities. The grades on the written exam, the project and the course as a whole, are Failed, Passed and Passed with distinction. A student that has performed two test for a course or part of a course without getting the grade passed, has the right to get a new examiner appointed, if there are no particular reasons against it (HF 6 chapter 22§). The request for a new examiner is sent to the prefect for the department of ecology and environmental science. A student who has achieved a passed grade on an examination may not retake this examination in order to attampt to achieve a higer grade. To pass the whole course, all tests must be passed and compulsory parts performed. The grade on the course is a combined assessment of all the different parts of the examinations and is awarded when all compulsory parts are performed.
CREDIT TRANSFER
Credit transfers are always tried individually (See the universitys guidelines and credit-of-transfer-ordinance)
Rautio et al.
Shallow freshwater ecosystems of the circumpolar Arctic,
Ecoscience, 18, 204-222 : 2011 :
Vonk and Gustafsson
Permafrost-carbon complexities
Nature Geoscience, 66, 675-676| : 2013 :
Vincent et al.,
Climate Impacts on Arctic Lake Ecosystems, In: Climatic Change and Global Warming of Inland Waters: Impacts and Mitigation for Ecosystems and Societies, Eds. Charles R. Goldman, Michio Kumagai, Richard D. Robarts,
John Wiley & Sons, 20 nov. 2012, 496 sidor : 2012 :
Birks &Birks
Multi-proxy studies in palaeolimnology,
Veget Hist Archaeobot, 15:235-251 : 2006 :
Marcott et al.,
A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years
Science, 339, 1198-2002 : 2013 :
Dorrepaal et al.,
Carbon respiration from subsurface peat accelerated by climate warming in the subarctic
Nature, 460, 616-619 : 2009 :
Johansson et al.,
Rapid responses of permafrost andvegetation to experimentally increased snow cover in sub-arctic Sweden
Environ. Res. Lett. 8, 035025 (10pp) : 2013 :
Keuper et al.,
A frozen feast: thawing permafrost increases plant-available nitrogen in subarctic peatlands
Global Change Biology, 18, 19982007 : 2012 :
Schuur et al.,
The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra
Nature, 459, 556-559 : 2013 :
Giesler et al.,
Catchment-scale dissolved carbon concentrations and export estimates across six subarctic streams in northern Sweden
Biogeosciences, 11, 113 : 2014 :
Frey & McClelland
Impacts of permafrost degradation on arctic river biogeochemistry
Hydrol. Process. 23, 169182 : 2009 :
Tank et al.,
A land-to-ocean perspective on the magnitude, source and implication of DIC flux from major Arctic rivers to the Arctic Ocean
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 26, GB4018 : 2012 :
Stark, S
Nutrient Cycling in the Tundra In: Soil Biology, Volume 10 Nutrient Cycling in Terrestrial Ecosystems P. Marschner, Z. Rengel (Eds.),
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg : 2007 :
Björck et al.,
Linkages between N turnover and plant community structure in a tundra landscape
Plant Soil, 294:247261 : 2007 :
Sundqvist et al.,
Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics across an elevational gradient for subarctic tundra heath and meadow vegetation
Plant and Soil, 383, 387-399 : 2012 :
Gaillardet et al
Global silicate weathering and CO consumption rates deduced from the chemistry of large rivers,
Chemical Geology 159, 330 : 1999 :
Bertilsson et al.,
The under-ice microbiome of seasonally frozen lakes
Limnology and Oceanography, 58, 19982012 : 2013 :
Hill et al.,
Quantifying phosphorus and light effects in stream algae
Limnology and Oceanography, 54, 368-380 : 2009 :
Tulonen et al.,
Factors Controlling Production of Phytoplankton and Bacteria Under-Ice in a Humic, Boreal Lake
Journal of Plankton Research, 10, 1411-1432 : 1994 :
Warren, D. R., Collins, S. M., Purvis, E. M., Kayl
Spatial variability in light yields co-limitation of primary production by both light and nutrients in a forested stream ecosystem
Ecosystems, 20, 198210 : 2016 :
Jonsson et al.,
Sources of carbon dioxide supersaturation in clearwater and humic lakes in northern Sweden
Ecosystems, 6(3), 224235 : 2003 :
Karlsson et al.,
High emission of carbon dioxide and methane during ice-thaw in high latitude lakes
Geophysical Research Letters, 26, doi:10.1029/2012GL054800 : 2013 :
Teodoru, C. R., Y. T. Prairie, and P. a. del Giorg
Spatial Heterogeneity of Surface CO2 Fluxes in a Newly Created Eastmain-1 Reservoir in Northern Quebec, Canada
Ecosystems, 14, 2846 : 2010 :
Einarsdottir et al
High terrestrial carbon load via groundwater to a boreal lake dominated by surface water inflow
Biogeosciences, 122, 1529 : 2017 :
Raymond et al.,
Global carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters.
Nature, 503, 355359 : 2013 :
Pokrovsky et al
Permafrost coverage, watershed area and season control of dissolved carbon and major elements in western Siberian rivers
Biogeosciences, 12, 63016320 : 2015 :
Vonk et al
High biolability of ancient permafrost carbon upon thaw
Geophysical Research Letters, 40, 2689-2693 : 2013 :
Abbot et al
Patterns and persistence of hydrologic carbon and nutrient export from collapsing upland permafrost
Biogeoscience, 12, 37253740 : 2015 :
Schuur et al.
Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback
Nature, 520, 171-179 : 2015 :
Väisänen et al.,
Consequences of warming on tundra carbon balance determined by reindeer grazing history
Nature Climate Change, 4, 384-388 : 2014 :
Becher et al.
Buried soil organic inclusions in non-sorted circles fields in northern Sweden: Age and Paleoclimatic context,
J Geophysical Res., 118, 1-8 : 2013 :
Olofsson et al.
Carbon balance of arctic tundra under increased snow cower mediated by a plant pathogen.
Nature Climate Change 1, 220-223 : 2011 :
Bokhorst et al
Winter warming events damage sub-Arctic vegetation: consistentevidence from an experimental manipulation and a natural event
Journal of Ecology 2009, 97, 14081415 : 2009 :
Sistla et al
Long-term warming restructures Arctic tundra without changing net soil carbon storage
Nature, 497, 615-619 : 2013 :
Kaukonen et al.,
Moth herbivory enhances resource turnover in subarctic mountain birch forests?
Ecology, 94, 267272 : 2013 :
MacMillan et al.,
High Methylmercury in Arctic and Subarctic Ponds is Related toNutrient Levels in the Warming Eastern Canadian Arctic
Environ. Sci. Technol., 49, 7743−7753 : 2015 :
Bret-Hart et al.,
The response of Arctic vegetation and soils following an unusually severe tundra fire
Phil Trans R Soc B, 368, 20120490 : 2013 :
Johansson et al.,
Decadal vegetation changes in a northern peatland, greenhouse gas fluxes and net radiative forcing
Global Change Biology, 12, 23522369 : 2006 :
Malmer et al.,
Vegetation, climatic changes and net carbon sequestrationin a North-Scandinavian subarctic mire over 30 years
Global Change Biology, 11, 18951909 : 2005 :
Åkerman & Johansson
Thawing Permafrost and Thicker Active Layers in Sub-arctic Sweden
Permafrost and Periglac. Process. 19: 279292 : 2008 :
Johansson et al.,
What Determines the Current Presence or Absence of Permafrost in the Torneträsk Region, a Sub-arctic Landscape in Northern Sweden?
Ambio Vol. 35, 190-197 : 2006 :
Literature will be posted
EMG - Ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap :
Ask J. et al. 2009:
Whole lake estimates of carbon flux through algae and bacteria in benthic and pelagic habitats of clear-water lakes.
Ecology 90: : 1923-1932 :
Mandatory
Battin T.J. et al. 2009:
The boundless carbon cycle.
Nature Geoscience 2: : 598-600 :
Mandatory
Birks H.H. et al. 2006
Multi-proxy studies in palaeolimnology.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 15: : 235-251 :
Mandatory
Björk R.G. et al. 2007
Linkages between N turnover and plant community structure in a tundra landscape.
Plant and Soil 294: : 247-261 :
Mandatory
Callaghan T.V. et al. 2004
Past Changes in Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems, Climate and UV Radiation.
Ambio 33: : 398-403 :
Mandatory
Elser J.J. et al. 2009
Shifts in Lake N:P Stoichiometry and Nutrient Limitation Driven by Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition.
Science 326: : 835-837 :
Mandatory
Humborg et al. 2004
Nutrient variations in boreal and subarctic rivers Swedish rivers: landscape control of land-sea fluxes.
Limnol. and Ocean. 49: : 1871-1883 :
Mandatory
IPCC report 2007
Climate Change. The Physical Science Basis.
Mandatory
Jansson M. et al. 2008
Links between terrestrial primary productin and lake mineralization and CO2 emission in a climate gradient in subarctic Sweden.
Ecosystems 11: : 367-376, DOI: 10.1007/s10021-008-9127-2 :
Mandatory
Johansson M. et al. 2006
What determines the current presence or absence of permafrost in the Torneträsk region, a Subarctic landscape in northern Sweden?
Ambio 35: : 190-197 :
Mandatory
Kalbitz et al. 2000
Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in soils: a review.
Soils Science 165: : 277-300 :
Mandatory
Karlsson J. 2007
Different carbon support for community respiration and secondary production in unproductive lakes.
Oikos 116: : 1691-1696 :
Mandatory
Karlsson J. et al. 2008
Winter respiration of allochthonous and autochthonous organic carbon in a subarctic clear-water lake.
Limnology and Oceanography 53: : 948-954 :
Mandatory
Karlsson J. et al. 2009
Light limitation of nutrient-poor lake ecosystems.
Nature 460: : 506-509 :
Mandatory
Klaminder et al. 2008
An explorative study of mercury export from a thawing palsa mire.
JGR-Biogeosciencis 114:G04034 :
Mandatory
Klaminder et al. 2009
Soil carbon accumulatin in the dry tundra: the important role played by precipitation.
JGR-Biogeosciencis 114:G04005 :
Mandatory
Macdonald R.W. 2005
Climate Change, Risks and Contaminants: A Perspective from Studying the Arctic.
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 11: : 1099-1104 :
Mandatory
Peterson B. et al. 1987
Stable isotopes in ecosystem studies
Annual review of ecology and systematics : 293-302, 304-305, 307-309 :
Mandatory
Rosén P. 2005
Total organic carbon (TOC) of lake water during the Holocene inferred from lake sediments and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in eight lakes from northern Sweden.
Biogeochemistry 76: : 503-516 :
Mandatory
Rosén P. et al. 2009
Effects of climate on organic carbon and ratio of planktonic to benthic primary producers in a subarctic lake during the past 45 years.
Limnology and Oceanography 54: : 1723-1732 :
Mandatory
Rydberg et al. (submitted)
Climate driven release of carbon and mercury from permafrost mires increases mercury loading to subarctic lakes.
Mandatory
Smedberg E. et al. 2006
Modeling hydrology and silicon-carbon interactions in taiga and tundra biomes from a landscape perspective: implications for global warming feedbacks.
Global Biogeochemical Cycles 20: : GB2014 :
Mandatory
Smol J.P. et al.
Tracking long-term changes in climate using algal indicators in lake sediments.
Journal of Phycology 36: : 986-1011 (15 pages) :
Mandatory
Striegl R.G. et al. 2001
Carbon dioxide partial pressure and 13C content of north temperate and boreal lakes at spring ice melt.
Limnology and Oceanography 46: : 941-945 :
Mandatory
Tranvik L.J. et al. 2009
Lakes and reservoirs as regulators of carbon cycling and climate.
Limnology and Oceanography 54: : 2298-2314 (15 pages) :
Mandatory
Vincent W. 2008
Effects of climate change on lakes. Encyclopedia of inland waters.
Elsevier: : p. 1-6 :
Mandatory
Walter K.M. et al. 2006
Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming.
Nature 443: : 71-75 :
Mandatory
Walwoord M. et al. 2007
Increased groundwater to stream discharge from permafrost thawing in the Yukon River basin: potential impacts on lateral export of carbon and nitrogen.
Geophysical Research Letters 34: : L12402 :
Mandatory
Åkerman J. et al. 2008
Thawing Permafrost and Thicker Active Layers in Subartic Sweden.
Permafrost Periglacial Processes 19: : 279-292 :
Mandatory