Terrestrial Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling

This course will examine aboveground/ belowground processes in the context of the global nitrogen and carbon cycles, and the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. It will include discussion of processes such as (de)nitrification, N-fixation, respiration, photosynthesis, and decomposition and their relationship to soil properties; the coupling of N and C cycles in soils related to climate change and increasing N deposition. It will include emphasis on emerging new techniques to quantify N and C processes in the laboratory, field and through modeling, and field trip investigating current field studies. Prerequisites: BIOL 1480 or EEPS 1130 or equivalent biogeochemistry course. Enrollment limited to 15.