Course Location:
Hotel De Wageningsche Berg - Wageningen - The Netherlands
(2 ECTS)
Under the auspices the Graduate Schools PE&RC, SENSE and RSEE.
Course Location:
Hotel De Wageningsche Berg - Wageningen - The Netherlands
In contemporary times, the world is challenged with an array of issues that threaten human wellbeing and the sustainability of our natural environment (e.g. climate change, urbanisation, food and human health). Ecology addresses a variety of these issues and the insight obtained very often contributes to solutions that counter the threats and increase system sustainability. However, sometimes we tend to focus on what we see and so the role that the belowground environment can play might be ignored.
In this course, we want to link soil ecology to various societal issues such as climate, urbanisation, food and/or human health and accordingly see the role soils play in ecosystem services, contributing to solving these issues. Issues to be addressed are:
Soil and Molecular Techniques and Applications
Soil and Climate
Soil and Human Needs
Soil and the World
Besides focus on relevant theoretical aspects of soil ecological processes and application, new techniques and research methodology will also be addressed.
The course is composed of a series of lectures, subsequent discussions, working group activities, a poster session, a debating session and an excursion.
Lectures and discussion
After each lecture (45 minutes) a discussion of 30 minutes is held which is convened by about 3 participants who challenge the speaker on the presentation and the papers that the speaker submitted a-priori. Prior to the course, participants are asked to indicate after which speaker they want to convene the discussion. Accordingly participants are assigned to a convener group and they receive the relevant literature of that speaker.
Poster session
For the Poster Session participants must prepare a poster specifically for the course. The poster must highlight the following issues:
Name and affiliation
Title of research
Short description of the research
Highlight from the research (something exciting)
Why are you participating in this course?
Prior to the course, participants must submit a copy of the poster (A1-size) in pdf, which will be printed by the course office. Poster format will be prescribed by the course organisers. On the first evening of the course, participants will briefly (3 minutes) highlight the poster (based on a projected copy of the poster) and on the Monday afternoon there will be ample time for participants and lecturers to visit individual posters. Posters will remain in the lecture room during the course
Working groups
On Tuesday and Thursday working groups will deal with the following questions:
a. Soil and Climate:
What is the most critical soil ecological information we need to come up with for effective mitigation/adaptation strategies?
If you have money for a PhD-student, what will he/she be going to do
regarding soil ecological aspects of climate change?
In this session groups must focus on these issues and at the end of the day
give a presentation on their opinion and suggestions
b. Soil and the World.
What soil ecological information should be part of the Global Soil Map, in relation to important global issues?
What are issues of concern (i.e. scaling) must be considered when making such a map and how can these issues be tackled
Excursion
To be discussed
Debating session
Two groups (about 5 participants per group) have a plenary debate on propositions that have been brought forward by speakers or have appeared to be a point of discussion during the course. With 30 participants this means that we will have 3 debating sessions.
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Fee |
| PE&RC / SENSE and RSEE PhD candidates with an approved Education Plan (TSP) |
€ 300,- |
| All other PhD's and staff of participating institutes | € 600,- |
| All Others | € 1000,- |
Note: Fees do not include B&B. Additional costs € 60,- (single) and € 45.- pp. (double) per night.
Please register by sending an email to pe-office@wur.nl, providing the following information:
your name:
your email-address:
name of the module you want to participate in
status: PhD student, post-doc or other:
name of your graduate school:
if you are a member of PE&RC, SENSE or RSEE whether you have an approved education plan (TSP): yes // no
name and address of research group (if applicable internal bode number):
name of department/Science Group
the address to which we can send the invoice for the course fee
Will you be needing accommodation?
If yes, do you want a single or double? When double indicate with whom of known participants you would want to share the room.
Full registration only occurs once you have provided us with the requested information as stated above. Afterwards you will receive an official registration confirmation by one of the course organizers.
Dr. C. Van de Vijver
Tel: + 31 (0)317-485116
Fax: + 31 (0)317-485572
Email:
Claudius.vandeVijver@wur.nl