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Linking Hydrology and Greenhouse Gases in Environmental Models

24-28 March 2025

Objective

The course’s objective is to understand how hydrology impacts biogeochemical processes in different ecosystems, and how these processes can be represented in environmental models at different scales.

Course description

The course will gather experts in modelling of different ecosystems (agricultural systems, wetlands, forests) and at different scales (site scale, catchment scale, global scale). With a combination of lectures, student presentations on students’ individual PhD projects, discussion groups, group exercises and plenary discussions, we will compare and contrast the different approaches and will obtain a broad understanding of how these interactions are represented in models, how these interactions can be scaled to large scales, and how these can be used in accounting of greenhouse gas balances.

Teachers

Benjamin Stocker, University of Bern, CH
Bäerbel Tiemeyer, Thünen Institute, DE
David Kraus, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE
Edwin Haas, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, DE
Guy Schurgers, University of Copenhagen, IGN, DK
Julian Koch, GEUS, DK
Lars Stoumann Jensen, University of Copenhagen, PLEN, DK
Martin Rudbeck Jepsen, University of Copenhagen, IGN, DK
Nitin Chaudhary, Lund University, SE
Simon Stisen, GEUS, DK

Registration

1. Send biosketch (max 1,000 char) and PhD project description (max 1,000 char) to Tania Nielsen tn@ign.ku.dk. Deadline November 1. 
2. Notice for acceptance and invitation to registration November 15.
3. Upon notice of acceptance, fill out the 'Apply' information on the website.

More information

Course fee: 1500 DKK (approx. EUR 200). Payment information will be sent after acceptance. Course fee covers participation in the course and coffee/tea and lunch during the five course days. Participants cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. 

Tentative program

  • Monday 24 March
    Introduction to course, impact of hydrology on biogeochemical processes. Short pitches by students and teachers

  • Tuesday 25 March
    Modelling plot-scale hydrology and biogeochemistry.

  • Wednesday 26 March
    Modelling catchment-scale hydrology, linking catchment-scale hydrology to greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Thursday 27 March
    Global-scale modelling of vegetation processes and hydrology, representing landscape hydrology in Earth system models.

  • Friday 28 March
    Greenhouse gas accounting and reporting of nationally determined contributions. Course wrap-up.


Learning outcomes

Knowledge:
  • Role of hydrological processes on plant and soil greenhouse gas exchange
  • Representation of hydrological processes in 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional models at different scales
  • Representation of biogeochemical processes in models at different scales
Skills:
  • Describing feedbacks between hydrology and ecosystem processes
  • Competences:

Ability to describe dependencies between hydrological processes and greenhouse gas exchange in quantitative relationships

Critical assessment of the dependencies used to describe hydrology and biogeochemistry in models at different scales and of the uncertainties and limitations related to this

Course responsibles

Guy Schurgers gusc@ign.ku.dk 
Simon Stisen

For practical questions, please contact Tania Nielsen tn@ign.ku.dk 

 

 

Current Master thesis projects relevant for the Global Wetland Center:

Coastal wetland

Coastal wetlands, affected by continuous sedimentation of mineral and organic matter and high water content, can store large amounts of carbon. Climate change, in particular sea level rise, can alter this ability to store carbon.

To understand the storage of carbon and the fluxes of greenhouse gases from these areas, it is crucial to understand the dynamics of sedimentation and erosion, and the impacts of tidal extremes, long-term sea level dynamics and management.

For a master's thesis, the following topics could be of interest:

  • How has the extent of coastal wetlands in Denmark changed over the past decades, what are the underlying processes, and what can be expected for the coming decades? How do these changes affect the amount of organic carbon stored?
  • How do sedimentation and erosion, and with that organic matter content, vary in a transect from mud flats to marsh? How will climate change alter this?
  • How does coastal protection, e.g. the establishment of dikes, alter carbon storage and greenhouse gases? How would rewetting of such an area affect the greenhouse gas balance?
  • How do salt marshes respond to sea-level rise? What are the threshold rates of sea-level rise for salt-marsh deterioration and how does this affect carbon storage?
  • How do changes in storm surge frequency influence coastal wetland accretion and burial of carbon?

Contact
Mikkel Fruergaard, mif@ign.ku.dk
Guy Schurgers, gusc@ign.ku.dk

Remote sensing investigation of changes in plant species composition in previously drained peatlands

Rewetting of drained peatlands is currently high on the climate and environmental agenda of many European countries. Yet, our understanding of the effects of rewetting on the ecosystem is still incomplete, and it is also unclear when or whether a return to near-natural vegetation conditions can be observed over rewetted sites (Kreyling et al. 2021).
We are looking for a MSc student interested in investigating changes in species composition over rewetted peatlands combining both field observations and remote sensing time series.

Potential ideas for research questions are:

  • What relevant information on plant species composition and its change over time can we derive from optical and/or hyperspectral imagery?
  • Can remote sensing support the description of ecosystem conditions (e.g., hydrology and vegetation) pre- and post- rewetting?
  • Linked to question 2, how do pre-/post- rewetting conditions influence species composition and a potential return to near-natural vegetation composition?

Reference: Kreyling, J. et al (2021). Rewetting does not return drained fen peatlands to their old selves. Nature Communications (2021) 12:5693, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25619-y

Contact
Stéphanie Horion, smh@ign.ku.dk
Frederikke Krogh Corydon, fkc@ign.ku.dk

 

 

Current positions available in the Global Wetland Center:

Assistant Professor of Computer vision and machine learning for earth observation data.
The position is a four year position hosted at the Department of computer science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 
Deadline for application: 1 September 2024
Start date is 1 November 2024
More information: Assistant Professor of Computer Vision and Machine Learning for Earth Observation Data – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

PhD fellowship in Earth observation of disturbed wetlands: taking stock of high-resolution mapping in support to global upscaling of GHG budget.
The position is hosted at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Deadline for application: 15 September 2024
Start date is 1 January 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
Wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that undergo continuous natural fluctuations. They are under increased pressure from anthropogenic exploitation and ongoing climate change. Subtle changes, such as shifts in vegetation composition, alterations in hydrological patterns, or degradation of habitat quality, may occur gradually over time and can go unnoticed in the absence of detailed assessment and monitoring rooted in remote sensing satellite systems.
Mapping disturbance in wetlands is essential for accurate greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting. Disturbances in wetlands, such as drainage, conversion to agriculture, or urban development, can alter carbon storage and fluxes, leading to emissions of GHGs like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Similarly, natural disturbances such as droughts, wild fires and flooding, may also affect the GHG budget of wetlands at various time scales. By detecting subtle changes in wetlands, particularly those related to vegetation dynamics, soil conditions, and hydrological regimes, we can better understand the factors influencing carbon dynamics in these ecosystems.
High-resolution imagery can significantly enhance our ability to detect and quantify changes in wetland ecosystems, enabling e.g. amongst others more accurate estimation of GHG emissions and removals associated with wetland degradation and restoration. This information is crucial for assessing the net impact of wetlands on the climate system and for developing effective strategies to mitigate GHG emissions and enhance carbon sequestration in wetland ecosystems.
More information: https://lnkd.in/dsp5bQEF

PhD fellowship in remote sensing driven hydrological and biogeochemical modelling of tropical wetlands. The position is hosted at DHI, Denmark. 
Deadline for application: 1 October 2024
Start date is 1 January 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
The project focuses on tropical wetlands, which are dynamic environments where water flow and biogeochemical processes determine the balance between carbon sequestration and carbon emissions. Precise hydrological models help predict water levels, flow patterns, and inundation periods, which influence the wetland's capacity to store carbon. Meanwhile, detailed biogeochemical models capture the complex interactions among soil, water, and vegetation, dictating how carbon is assimilated, stored, and released. The research involves integrating remote sensing technologies with advanced modelling techniques to enhance our understanding of hydrological processes and biogeochemical interactions in both natural and managed wetland ecosystems and thereby improving our understanding of how tropical wetlands contribute to or mitigate climate change.
More information: https://lnkd.in/dvX7yyPQ