Beschreibung der Lehr- und Lernformen
The module consists of three parts, which are offered as integrated courses including lectures, discussions, and student presentations.
In the seminar "Introduction to Urban Ecosystem Sciences: Theory & Practice" the theoretical foundations for understanding interactions between cities and environment will be provided and discussed. Topics will include urbanization in the context of historical environmental changes, modern urbanization trends, the urban heat island, urban biogeochemistry, air pollution, nature-based solutions in cities as well as climate change and its feedbacks with urban areas. The guided tours will supplement the theory and demonstrate various solutions to mitigating the impact of a city on the environment such as reducing energy consumption in buildings, various efforts towards increasing urban vegetation cover and reducing heat island effect, etc.
The lecture “Introduction to Urban Biodiversity and Ecology” will cover the characteristic features of urban ecosystems including plant-soil interactions, biological invasions and novel urban ecosystems, urban biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as some more interdisciplinary topics dealing with cities as socioecological systems and strategies for the conservation of biodiversity.
The lecture “Introduction to Urban Soil Ecology” will cover principles and functions of the various soil types in urban landscapes, urban soil use and ecosystem services as well as some more interdisciplinary topics dealing with urban agriculture and attempts to foster soil conservation to increase biodiversity. Additionally aspects of soil protection and fate of pollutants will be covered.
