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2016　Global Environmental System and Ecosystem Dynamics

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Global Engineering for Development, Environment and Society
Instructor(s)
Nakamura Takashi 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Tue5-6(W322)  Fri5-6(W322)  
Group
-
Course number
GEG.E401
Credits
2
Academic year
2016
Offered quarter
3Q
Syllabus updated
2016/4/27
Lecture notes updated
2016/11/18
Language used
English
Access Index

Course description and aims

In order to understand recent global climate change and associated ecosystem changes, and to predict the future, it is necessary to understand the climate change history and the global environmental system. Ecosystems respond to environmental conditions. On the other hand, we need to understand that environment can also be affected by ecosystems. Therefore the interaction between environment and ecosystems is also an important factor for environmental system. In this course, historical changes of past-present-future climate and driving forces in each time scale are reviewed, and some monitoring and estimation techniques for past and present environmental parameters are explained.
The aims of this course are (1) to understand past-present-future history of climate change, its driving force and an overview of global environmental system, (2) to understand ecosystem dynamics under various environmental conditions and environment-ecosystem interactions, (3) to acquire modeling skills for ecosystem phenomena and mechanisms, and (4) to acquire basic skills for numerical simulation of the model.

Student learning outcomes

By the end of this class, students will be able to:
(1) understand past-present history and future of climate change, its driving forces and an overview of the global environmental system,
(2) understand ecosystem dynamics under various environmental conditions and environment-ecosystem interactions,
(3) acquire modeling skills for ecosystem phenomena and mechanisms,
(4) acquire basic skills for numerical simulation of the model.

Keywords

ecosystem, global environmental system, material cycle, modeling, numerical simulation

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills ✔ Critical thinking skills ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

For the first half part of this course, lectures about various topics are scheduled. For the second half, a mixed style of practices of programming and lectures are scheduled.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Introduction, Progressing climate changes Understand overview of the situation about present climate change, the social-system and ecosystem.
Class 2 Technology of environmental monitoring Understand various types of environmental monitoring systems, their results and issues.
Class 3 Methods for estimating paleo-environmental parameters Understand various methods for estimating paleo-environmental parameters.
Class 4 Paleo-climate change and its driving forces Understand paleoclimate change in geological time scales and its driving forces.
Class 5 Projection of future climate changes Understand projection of future climate change by IPCC report and others.
Class 6 Marine chemistry and basic processes in the material cycle Understand marine chemistry and basic processes in the material cycle for understanding ecosystem.
Class 7 Material cycle and ecosystem Understand material cycle and roles of organisms in ecosystems.
Class 8 Interaction between global environments and ecosystem Understand interactions between global environments and ecosystems.
Class 9 Basics of mathematical ecology Introduce basics of mathematical ecology, and explain basic equation for expressing an ecosystem.
Class 10 Ecosystem dynamics and modeling Understand overview of ecosystem modeling and modeling techniques for expressing ecosystem dynamics.
Class 11 Modeling coral reef ecosystem (1): metabolisms and processes of material cycle Understand modeling of coral reef ecosystem especially focused on coral metabolism and material cycles, and learn its application.
Class 12 Modeling coral reef ecosystem (2): population dynamics Understand population dynamics modeling of coral communities, and learn its application.
Class 13 Basics of programming and numerical simulation Acquire basics of programming and numerical simulation.
Class 14 Ecosystem modeling and numerical simulation (1): Basic Acquire basic skills for ecosystem modeling, its numerical simulation and visualization of the results.
Class 15 Ecosystem modeling and numerical simulation (2): Complex systems Acquire complex system modeling, its numerical simulation and visualization of the results.

Textbook(s)

Nothing

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Handout will be distributed before the beginning of class via OCW-i.

Assessment criteria and methods

Learning achievement is evaluated by reports.

Related courses

  • GEG.E511 ： Socio-ecological systems in changing global and local environments
  • TSE.A312 ： Introduction to global and local ecology
  • TSE.A206 ： Biological engineering
  • CVE.B310 ： Coastal Engineering and Oceanography
  • CVE.M301 ： Computers and Fundamental Programming

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

Nothing

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