Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing World - Zurich-Basel ...

Instruction Concept SPSW Summer School 2011-03-25
Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics in a
Changing World
Melanie Paschke, Ansgar Kahmen (authors/scientific organizers)
1. Learning Objectives
Student will,
• be able to summarize the state of the art in research
• be able to understand the contributions of other research communities
• be able to identify future challenges
Summer School Outcomes
Prepare a summary report highlighting future and cross-discipline challenges that we
face in order to better understand “Terrestrial Ecosystems in a Changing World”. It
would be nice if such a report could be published at
• SPSW Homepage and Newsletter
• PSC Newsletter
Possible Working Title: Future Cross-Discipline Challenges for Understanding
Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing World
2. Organisations of Group Work
Before summer school:
• Students will need to read/browse the assigned literature before the summer
school. Speakers make suggestions for 2 key papers linked to their
presentation: together 12 PDFs.
• Students prepare some questions they want to focus on during the group
work. Preparation of questions is guided by offering a general question
framework (see point 5). Group enrollment before the summer school (see
point 3)
• Students prepare a poster of their own work for the poster session.
During summer school:
• Preparation (in the evening of day 1): Establish student teams. 2) Give every
student team some time to work in detail through the literature of their
sessions and prepare their questions. Every team will be responsible to guide
1 – 2 discussion(s) after sessions. This number is dependent from the number
of students and number of teams that can be set up.
• Discussion (after each session): Discussion is guided by one student team.
Lecturers and all other students participate in the discussions. Questions
follow the framework of point 5.
• Group Work: All groups follow up discussion and draft a synthesis, i.e. a
message.

• Presentation and integration: All groups bring back their summaries to the
plenum for discussion and integration. There is a vote on what is
missing/should be done in future research and implementation.
After summer school:
• Prepare the summary report for publication (see “Outcomes”).
3. Group Enrolment
Every participant is asked to state their level of experience in plant molecular
biology, plant physiology, plant ecology before the group enrolment. Participants are
assigned to the groups by the organisers. Composition of student teams should
reflect the number of participants from three research communities and their levels of
experience. Favourably one student expert in the topic of each lesson will be able to
peer-tutor the members from other disciplines.
4. General Question Framework:
The discussion after each session should be structured by several possible
questions:
• Questions of understanding
• What is the state of the art in plant ecosystem dynamics in a changing world
that was outlined in this session?
• What is the specific contribution of researchers of a certain community?
• What are future challenges for the researchers of a certain community
regarding the topic?
• How important is the dialogue for this community with the other involved
communities?
• How can the current knowledge on plant ecosystem dynamics be transferred
into action and implementation?
5. Schedule with Focus on the Instructional Parts
Tuesday 21 st june
16:00-17:00: registration.
17:00-18:00: Installation
18:00-18:45: Apéro
18:45-20:00: Diner
20:00-21:30: Stefan Brönnimann, Climatic changes during the past 100 years -
approaches and results”, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Switzerland.
21:30 – open end: Preparation - prepare literature and questions for the
discussions after sessions (work in student teams)
Wednesday 22 nd June
8:00-8:45: Christian Kö

ner, “Leeway and constraints of plant and ecosystem responses to atmospheric
change”, University of Basel, Switzerland.
8:45-9:15: Discussion (moderated by group 1, plenum)
9:15-9:45: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
9:45-10:00 Coffee break
10:30-11:15: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
11:15-12:00: Oliver Bossdorf, "Epigenetics and plant responses to environmental
change", University of Bern, Switzerland.
12:00-12:30: Discussion (moderated by group 2, plenum)
12:30-14:00 lunch
14:00-14:30: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
14:30-15:15: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
15:15-15:45: coffee break
15:45-16:30: Kentaro Shimizu, “Gene function in nature: toward predicting plastic
and evolutionary responses to changing environments”, University of Zürich,
Switzerland.
16:30 – 17:00: Discussion (moderated by group 3, plenum)
17:00-17:30: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
17:30-18:15: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
18:15-18:45: handling poster + free time
18:45-19:45: diner
19:45-22:00: Poster session
Thursday 23 rd June
8:00-8:45: Jürg Fuhrer, “Agricultural Crops and Climate Change”, Agroscope
Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Switzerland.
8:45-9:15: Discussion (moderated by group 4, plenum)
9:15-10:00: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-10:45: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
10:45-11:30: Gian-Reto Walther, “Climate change impacts on biodiversity”, BAFU,
Bern, Switzerland.
11:30-12:00: Discussion (moderated by group 4, plenum)
11:30-12:15: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
12:15-13:00: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
13:00-14:00: lunch (may be a picnic is possible, to be discussed with the hotel)
14:30-17:30 Botanical excursion or free time
18:30-20:00: diner
20:30-21.30: Sebastiaan Luyssaert, “Ecosystem management for climate change
mitigation: the good, the bad and the ugly”, CEA, France.
Friday 24 th June

8:00-8:45: Ansgar Kahmen, ETH Zürich, Switzerland (Winners and losers in climate
change)
8:45-9:15: Discussion (moderated by group 5, plenum)
9:15-10:00: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
10:00-10:30: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
10:30-11:15: Christophe Randin, “Predicting the fate of plant species in a changing
world: providing safer projections and avoiding pitfalls”, University of Basel,
Switzerland.
11:15-11:45: Discussion (moderated by group 6, plenum)
11:45-12:30: Group work - preparation of summaries (all groups)
12:30-14:00: Lunch
14:00-14:45: Presentation and integration - student presentations and voting
(plenum)
14:45-15:30: Conclusion talk
15:30-16:00: Questions
16:00-16:30: Certificates and departure