Course dates: 7 days, Autumn 2021
Registration dates: TBA, some month before course start
Location of the course: TBA (likely at Senckenberg BiK-F, Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
Coordinating university/institution: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
Website of the project/course: SALLnet: https://uni-goettingen.de/en/592566.html
Course coordinator: Dr. Simon Scheiter
Course lead: Dr. Simon Scheiter, Prof. Dr. Reimund Rötter, Prof. Dr. Jan Henning Feil
Course description and primary learning objectives:
Southern African landscapes are multi-functional and provide essential ecosystem services and functions to local communities. This course will address how different modelling approaches can be applied to study the complexity of such landscapes, and the effects of climate change, alternative land management practices and land use change on ecosystem services and functions. The course will provide the theoretical background of both multi-functionality and modelling from field to landscape/regional scales, and ample opportunity to apply different models in hands-on sessions. Models include the dynamic vegetation model aDGVM, the crop simulation model APSIM, and agent-based models for socio-economic applications. Primary learning objectives are (1) to get familiarized with the concept of multi-functional landscapes, (2) to get familiarized with different modelling approaches, (3) to acquire skills to run different models and interpret results, and (4) to learn applying the models in a small project for assessing multiple ecosystem functions and services.
Learning methods:
Expected learning outcomes:
Target group:
MSc students, PhD students, early career researchers with interest in the topics covered by the SPACES II projects. Some experience in R and ecological modelling is an advantage but not required.