Lectures
Masters Course on Ecosystems
The macroecology and environmental impacts of humanity (58 MB)
This lecture explores how human activity and use of the biosphere has changed through human history and pre-history, through hunter-gatherer, agrarian and industrial modes of society. I discuss the concept of describing human activity and material and energy use through social metabolism, and compare with the inherent biological metabolism of the biosphere. I explore a range of ideas and bizarre questions such as: to what extent can human societies be considered as superorganisms? In what way are cities more like stars rather than like ant colonies?
A short history of the biosphere (35 MB).
This lecture is part of the “Welcome to the Anthropocene” series on “Introduction to timescales”. In this lecture, I address such topics as: (1) key components of the biosphere over Earth’s history, from evolution of photosynthesis to present. (2) Mass extinctions and periods of rapid climate change - the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum and glaciations. (3) Contemporary global change in the context of Earth history. (4) The concept of the Anthropocene.
Wytham Woods: a carbon cycle perspective (14 MB)
Climate change: impacts, adaptation and mitigation in British woodlands (2.7 MB)
Two lectures given in advance of our MSc trip to Wytham Woods in October 2013. The second lecture is given by Dr Mike Morecroft of Natural England.
The functioning of the biosphere in the Earth System (27 MB)
This lecture gives an overview of the role the terrestrial biosphere plays in the global cycling of energy, water, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and how human influence is altering these biogeochemical cycles. It also gives a brief history of the concept of the biosphere and of global biosphere science.
Tropical forests, deforestation and climate change (83 MB)
This lecture gives an overview of our research in tropical forests. It starts by examining the patterns and causes of tropical deforestation, and the significance of this in the global carbon cycle. Next it explores how climate change may affect tropical forests. For the second part is illustrates how scientists explore how tropical forests respond to degradation and climate change, showcasing work being done by the Ecosystems programme at Oxford University, around the world.
Ecosystem dynamics and resilience (26 MB)
Given by Dr Chris Doughty.
Modelling the biosphere-atmosphere system (6 MB)
Given by Dr Toby Marthews.
Investigating climate change and biosphere function via an elevation transect in the Andes_Part 1 (given by Yadvinder Malhi)
This lecture explores how our research in the Andes can give insights into how tropical plant species are responding to climate warming. As well as our own work it draws on the work (and slides) of my colleagues Miles Silman at Wake Forest University and Ken Feeley at Florida International University.
Investigating climate change and biosphere function via an elevation transect in the Andes_Part 2 (given by Dr Cécile Girardin)
This lecture explores how studies of productivity and carbon cycling in the Andes can give insights into how the tropical biosphere will respond to warming.
This lecture explores how human activity and use of the biosphere has changed through human history and pre-history, through hunter-gatherer, agrarian and industrial modes of society. I discuss the concept of describing human activity and material and energy use through social metabolism, and compare with the inherent biological metabolism of the biosphere. I explore a range of ideas and bizarre questions such as: to what extent can human societies be considered as superorganisms? In what way are cities more like stars rather than like ant colonies?
A short history of the biosphere (35 MB).
This lecture is part of the “Welcome to the Anthropocene” series on “Introduction to timescales”. In this lecture, I address such topics as: (1) key components of the biosphere over Earth’s history, from evolution of photosynthesis to present. (2) Mass extinctions and periods of rapid climate change - the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum and glaciations. (3) Contemporary global change in the context of Earth history. (4) The concept of the Anthropocene.
Wytham Woods: a carbon cycle perspective (14 MB)
Climate change: impacts, adaptation and mitigation in British woodlands (2.7 MB)
Two lectures given in advance of our MSc trip to Wytham Woods in October 2013. The second lecture is given by Dr Mike Morecroft of Natural England.
The functioning of the biosphere in the Earth System (27 MB)
This lecture gives an overview of the role the terrestrial biosphere plays in the global cycling of energy, water, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and how human influence is altering these biogeochemical cycles. It also gives a brief history of the concept of the biosphere and of global biosphere science.
Tropical forests, deforestation and climate change (83 MB)
This lecture gives an overview of our research in tropical forests. It starts by examining the patterns and causes of tropical deforestation, and the significance of this in the global carbon cycle. Next it explores how climate change may affect tropical forests. For the second part is illustrates how scientists explore how tropical forests respond to degradation and climate change, showcasing work being done by the Ecosystems programme at Oxford University, around the world.
Ecosystem dynamics and resilience (26 MB)
Given by Dr Chris Doughty.
Modelling the biosphere-atmosphere system (6 MB)
Given by Dr Toby Marthews.
Investigating climate change and biosphere function via an elevation transect in the Andes_Part 1 (given by Yadvinder Malhi)
This lecture explores how our research in the Andes can give insights into how tropical plant species are responding to climate warming. As well as our own work it draws on the work (and slides) of my colleagues Miles Silman at Wake Forest University and Ken Feeley at Florida International University.
Investigating climate change and biosphere function via an elevation transect in the Andes_Part 2 (given by Dr Cécile Girardin)
This lecture explores how studies of productivity and carbon cycling in the Andes can give insights into how the tropical biosphere will respond to warming.