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2026-2027 / ENVT4126-1

Fluxes and balances in ecosystems

Duration

25h Th, 25h Pr

Number of credits

 Bachelor in bioengineering5 crédits 

Lecturer

Jean-François Bastin, Aurore Degré

Coordinator

Aurore Degré

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Biophysical cycles within ecosystems

  • Water
  • Energy
  • Major elements (carbon, nitrogen, etc.)
  • (Minor elements (silicon, etc.))
  • Concepts of balance and flux (including the concept of food production)
Living organisms within ecosystems

  • Abundance, diversity (traits and functions) & biomass
  • Levels of organisation (population, community, ecosystems
Interconnections between cycles

Quantitative approaches at global (planetary boundaries) and local levels

Introduction to 'Earth system' models

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of the course, students will be able to describe the flows of water, energy and elements that occur within certain ecosystems, and the roles played by living organisms in these cycles.
They will be able to apply this analysis to ecosystems not covered in the course.
By the end of the course, students will be able to carry out overall assessments of the various flows and their associated units.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

lectures

tutorials

practical sessions

fieldwork and site visits

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

Continuous assessment

Out-of-session test(s)

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Jean-François Bastin jfbastin@uliege.be

Aurore Degré aurore.degre@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs