Disturbance Ecology Field Trip - Overseas (M25) (DEFTO)

WS 2023/2024
2023-12-16-2023-12-17 (several days), H6 (GEO); 2024-03-23-2024-04-07 (several days), New Zealand

Anke Jentsch, Andreas von Heßberg

Exercise/Seminar - Field Trip; 5 ECTS

Preparatory Seminar: 16 and 17 December 2023, H6 (GEO)

Field Trip Dates: 23 March 2024 to 7 April 2024, New Zealand

Learning Objectives: Aim of this module is an advanced practical experience in disturbance ecology and vegetation dynamics while travelling hiking through remote landscapes. Students are trained in the field across a variety of ecosystems and altitudinal gradients and will understand the effort and the skills needed for analyzing natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes and their effects on ecosystem dynamics in various regions. Field talks and scientific field work will be carried out at the scale of plant communities and ecosystems targeting various biomes. Concepts and methods taught in disturbance ecology and resilience, biodiversity and vegetation science are applied under field conditions. The final product will be an individual field-book of disturbance ecology and vegetation dynamics based on own work and experience.

Course Content: Based on theoretical and methodological knowledge about different approaches in disturbance ecology and vegetation science, various ecological field talks and methods of data recording are applied to a large diversity of habitats and ecosystem dynamics. Site conditions and ecosystem processes are related to key plant functional traits and vegetation pattern. Methods include floristic relevés, vegetation transects, trait data recording as well as assessment of ecosystem functioning and resilience.