Terrestrial Biogeochemistry, Ecosystems and the Global Carbon Cycle

This course will explore the fundamental interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of the surface Earth system. Life on Earth depends on biogeochemical cycling of elements - primary production provides the energy for all secondary growth, and the availability of rock and air derived nutrients, light, and water fundamentally constrain primary production across the biosphere. We will explore the ways in which the biogeochemistry of Earth’s surface and ecosystems varies in space and time, and how dramatically humans are altering the planet's major biogeochemical cycles, with a focus on the carbon cycle.