AB-322
Flux of Matter and Energy from Sea to Land (10 ECTS)

Ph.D. course, also suitable for M.Sc.

Application deadline: 15. February 2012

Objective:
To provide a thorough understanding of all aspects of matter and energy fluxes from sea to land in the Arctic.

Content:
The course will focus on connections across the land-marine boundary. The importance of the marine environment and productivity for some Arctic terrestrial ecosystems will be dealt with.

The main topic of interest will be Arctic seabirds that nest in large, dense colonies, their dependence on the hydrological regime and biological productivity of the waters around Svalbard, and their impact on terrestrial ecosystems. Bird droppings have an important fertilising effect on the vegetation in the vicinity of colonies. The lush greenery below a nesting cliff is an eye-catching feature of an otherwise impoverished arctic landscape. These oases are important grazing areas for herbivores such as the Svalbard reindeer and are hunting grounds for carnivores such as the arctic fox.

Students will study the interdependence of land and marine environments for important groups of arctic inhabitants. This connection between land and sea will be described and quantified on the basis of current understanding of the topic. In order to import first-hand experience, an important part of the course will consist of one week of intensive fieldwork, as well as the development of a model for these paired ecosystems. Specialists in marine biology, ornithology and terrestrial ecology will teach on the course.

	Period:	20. June - 26. July 2012
	Teaching:	30 hrs lectures, 7 days fieldwork/excursion, 20 hrs lab work
	Evaluation:	Oral exam and graded report (50 % each).
	Course responsible :	Geir Wing Gabrielsen
	UNIS contact person:	Jørgen Berge