Philosophy of East & West

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This unit presents an overview of the role of plant communities (aquatic and terrestrial) in local and global cycles of carbon, nutrients and water. It focuses on developing a mechanistic understanding of the processes that drive biogeochemical cycling and underpin ecosystem functioning. Examples are drawn from diverse systems including semi-arid grasslands, forests, mulga woodlands, estuaries and coral reefs and include issues such as atmospheric pollution, climate change, carbon sequestration, fire, mining impacts as well as termites and ants as 'ecosystem engineers'. The unit encompasses studies of ecological and ecosystem biogeochemistry (e.g. disturbance responses, nutrient and water budgets, plant and soil chemistry, geochemical and biological interactions) and familiarises students with the most recent advances in research techniques, including the application of stable isotopes to studies in ecology.