ECTS credits: 5 ECTS

Course parameters:
Language: English
Level of course: PhD (Masters and young researchers with strong interest are also welcomed)
No. of contact hours/hours in total incl. preparation, assignment(s) or the like: 125 hours in total, including lectures, exercises, lab and field trips, and assignments, as well as one week of preparatory reading.
Capacity limits: 15

Objectives of the course:

The course aims to provide participants with a deeper understanding of:

• the role of wetlands and their relationship with climate change,
• policy initiatives and development targets to restore wetlands/peatlands in Europe
• wetlands restoration trade-offs and controversies
• biodiversity response to wetland restoration and driving factors
• wetland soil characterization and mapping,
• biogeochemical processes in natural, restored, and treatment wetlands,
• hydrological dynamics under wetland restoration (i.e. rewetting),
• greenhouse gases emission measurements and biomass utilization,
• modeling wetlands restoration scenarios

Learning outcomes and competencies:

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• have a better awareness of the ecological functionality of wetlands and their role in mitigating climate change,
• have an overall view of the current wetland mapping technology,
• describe wetland soil and hydrology characteristics,
• understand interactions of biogeochemical processes in wetlands,
• describe the impact of wetlands on nutrient cycling in agricultural catchments,
• understand different wetland systems, their applicability, and limitations,
• use different techniques to measure greenhouse gas fluxes,
• discuss peatland trade-offs and controversies, and policy initiatives.

Name of lecturers:

• Shubiao Wu, Associate Professor. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for wetland biogeochemical processes
• Brian Keith Sorrell, Associate Professor. Department of Biology, Aarhus University. Responsible for the role of wetland plants and biogeochemistry in the rhizosphere.
• Amélie Marie Beucher, Assistant Professor. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for wetland soil characterization and digital mapping
• Bo V. Iversen, Associate Professor. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for hydrology in wetlands
• Poul Erik Lærke, Senior Researcher, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for wetland GHGs emissions and biomass production
• Lorenzo Pugliese, Academic employee, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for nutrient transport and modeling in wetland soil. He will also supervise lab tracer experiments and field trips
• Johannes W.M. (Jeroen) Pullens, Researcher. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for Eddy covariance towers to measure greenhouse gas fluxes.
• Andres Felipe Rodriguez Grisales, Postdoc. Responsible for chamber systems to measure greenhouse gas fluxes.
• Claudia Nielsen, Postdoc. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Responsible for peatland trade-offs and controversies.
• Atif Muhmood, MSCA fellow, Responsible for phosphorus leaching in the wetland rewetting process.
• Lucas Carvalho Gomes, Postdoc, Responsible for modeling wetlands restoration scenarios.
• A few international experts will be invited.

Type of course/teaching methods:
Lectures, exercises, group work, lab and field trip, final assignment

Course assessment:
Classwork - satisfactory participation in the course; Group work and oral presentation. Prior to the course, each participant should prepare one slide PPT to introduce their research.

Provider:
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK- 8830 Tjele

Special comments on this course:
The course fee is 600 Euro.

Time:
7-11 October 2024

Place:
AU Foulum – Department of Agroecology and wetland areas in Denmark