Lecture 1 - Introduction ECOSYSTEM BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

ECOSYSTEM BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Agenda | Lecture 1, Week 1 1:40 – 1:45 | Instructor Introduction 1:45 – 2:00 | Student Introduction 2:00– 2:30| Introduction to Ecosystem Biogeochemistry • History of Ecosystems and Biogeochemistry • Introduction to Systems • Introduction the Biogeochemistry of Earth’s Spheres 2:30– 3:00 | Syllabus Orientation Your guide: Dr. Rebecca R. Hernandez Your additional guides:

Dr. Pawlok Dass Louisa Rogers

Experse: ecological modeling, earth Experse: soil biogeochemistry, globally system science, and biogeochemistry important plant symbionts (e.g., mycorrhizal fungi), nutrient cycling Personal Introduction

> About Me

Assistant Professor Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis

UC President’s Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral Fellow Climate and Carbon Sciences Division, LBNL Advisor: Daniel Kammen and Margaret Torn

Ph.D. Dept. of Earth System Science, Stanford University Earth System Science PhD, Advisor: Christopher B. Field

M.S. Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton Biology MS, Advisor: Darren R. Sandquist

B.A. Dept. of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Geography BA, Emphasis: GIS and Remote Sensing Advisor: Thomas W. Gillespie

A.S. Saddleback Valley Community College Biology and Geography AS/AA, Advisor: Jane Horlings

Secrets to Post-Coursework Success While Taking Coursework

1. Attend every class and arrive at least five minutes early to meet other people and build relationships.

Secrets to Post-Coursework Success While Taking Coursework

2. Sit in front rows or seats nearest to the professor, if possible (so you don’t daydream or fall asleep).

Secrets to Post-Coursework Success While Taking Coursework 3. Plan out your week, in 30 minute increments, on Sunday night before each week in your planner. Secrets to Post-Coursework Success While Taking Coursework 4. Buy/download several books on course subject. If you don’t understand something, maybe the author just explained it poorly. Personal Introduction

> About Me

Assistant Professor Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis

UC President’s Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral Fellow Climate and Carbon Sciences Division, LBNL Advisor: Daniel Kammen and Margaret Torn

Ph.D. Dept. of Earth System Science, Stanford University Earth System Science PhD, Advisor: Christopher B. Field

M.S. Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton Biology MS, Advisor: Darren R. Sandquist

B.A. Dept. of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Geography BA, Emphasis: GIS and Remote Sensing Advisor: Thomas W. Gillespie

A.S. Saddleback Valley Community College Biology and Geography AS/AA, Advisor: Jane Horlings

Personal Introduction

> About Me

Assistant Professor Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis

Summer at “Big UC President’s Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral Fellow Climate and Carbon Sciences Division, LBNL Green” Advisor: Daniel Kammen and Margaret Torn Environmental Ph.D. Dept. of Earth System Science, Stanford University Consultant Earth System Science PhD, Advisor: Christopher B. Field Ecosystem Science M.S. Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State University, FullertonLab, UCR Biology MS, Advisor: Darren R. Sandquist

B.A. Dept. of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Taught 3 Years at Geography BA, Emphasis: GIS and Remote Sensing CSU Advisor: Thomas W. Gillespie GIS Analyst (Non- A.S. Saddleback Valley Community College Profit) Biology and Geography AS/AA, Advisor: Jane Horlings

Math Tutor Personal Introduction

> About Me

Assistant Professor Dept. of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis

UC President’s Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley Postdoctoral Fellow Climate and Carbon Sciences Division, LBNL Advisor: Daniel Kammen and Margaret Torn

Ph.D. Dept. of Earth System Science, Stanford University Earth System Science PhD, Advisor: Christopher B. Field

M.S. Dept. of Biological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton Biology MS, Advisor: Darren R. Sandquist

B.A. Dept. of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Geography BA, Emphasis: GIS and Remote Sensing Advisor: Thomas W. Gillespie

A.S. Saddleback Valley Community College Biology and Geography AS/AA, Advisor: Jane Horlings

Aridlab | Land, Air, & Water Resources Dept.

Dr. Rebecca R. Hernandez UC Davis

The Aridlab seeks to understand, predict, and respond to anthropogenic and natural changes in aridlands from global to local scales.

www.Aridlab.org

[email protected]

@theHernandezLab

LAWR, UC Davis

ECOSYSTEM BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Agenda 1:40 – 1:45 | Instructor Introduction 1:45 – 2:00 | Student Introduction 2:00– 2:30| Introduction to Ecosystem Biogeochemistry 2:30– 3:00 | Syllabus Orientation What is Ecosystem Biogeochemistry?

• An enormous, interdisciplinary field • A class to increase your conceptual understanding of biogeochemical processes on Earth • A class to learn meta-analytical techniques that can be useful for atmospheric scientists, biologists, ecologist, geologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, oceanographers interested in biogeochemical processes • A class that can provide motivational deadlines to begin writing a manuscript What is Ecosystem Biogeochemistry is not?

• A course to learn about litter bag decomposition techniques and methods (or other myopic methodologies that may be useful for 1/20th of the class participants. . .) • A course with applied chemistry problems – you will not be: – Calculating the pH of buffers – Predicting equilibrium concentrations – Calculating reaction rates Personal Introduction

> About You?

1. Name 2. Graduate Program/Undergraduate Major(s) 3. Why you are taking the class? 4. Favorite ecosystem, plant community, or species and why?

ECOSYSTEM BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

• Ecosystem • Biogeochemistry

California State Employee (MBA): I don’t know. Something about . . . Ecosystem what? It sounds like a million different things all together.

Engineer (MS): It’s sounds like system impacts on the environment

Mom: That means, how the ecological systems relate to biological and geographical systems.

Agent Shelou (Geek Squad):

What is Biogeochemistry?

The scientific study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment (including the biosphere, the hydrosphere, the pedosphere, the atmosphere, and the lithosphere), and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space.

History of the term: Gorham 1991 (DISCUSSION) What is Biogeochemistry?

• Definition is scale-independent • Homo sapiens, as a species, are increasingly impactful • For most of Earth’s history, the biogeochemistry was microbial • Microbial ecology remains understudied today but is becoming increasingly recognized (some textbooks are still catching up)

What is Biogeochemistry? What is Biogeochemistry?

Hierarchy of Enes Systems, (Haila 1999) Processes

What is an Ecosystem?

Arthur G. Tansley What is an Ecosystem?

Arthur G. Tansley, founder of New Phytologist, What is an Ecosystem?

“It is the systems so formed which, from the point of view of the ecologist, are the basic units of nature on the face of the earth. Our natural human prejudices force us to consider the organisms (in the sense of the biologist) as the most important parts of these systems, but certainly the inorganic " factors" are also parts - there could be no systems without them, and there is constant interchange of the most various kinds within each system, not only between the organisms but between the organic and the inorganic. These ecosystems, as we may call them, are of the most various kinds and sizes.”

Arthur G. Tansley (1935) The use and abuse of vegetaonal concepts and terms, Ecology What is an Ecosystem?

Wikipedia | An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjuncon with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacng as a system.

Tansley (1934); Molles (1999), p. 482; Chapin et al. (2002), p. 380; Schulze et al. (2005); p. 400; Gurevitch et al. (2006), p. 522; Smith & Smith 2012, p. G-5

Arthur G. Tansley (1935) The use and abuse of vegetaonal concepts and terms, Ecology Biosphere

Biome

Levels of Organization Ecosystem in Ecology

(Organizational Community Complexity) Populaon

Species

Organism

Genes Biosphere: The sum of all dead and living materials on Earth

Biome

Ecosystem

Organizational Community Complexity Populaon

Species

Organism Systems

Systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interacons between the components that comprise the enrety of that deﬁned system. Systems

In systems science, it is argued that the only way to fully understand why a problem or element occurs and persists is to understand the parts in relaon to the whole. • plays the foil to Descarte’s Reduconism • Ludwig von Bertalanﬀy coined the term “general systems theory”

Types of Systems Types of Systems Types of Systems Types of Systems

Disclaimer: The speciﬁcaon of what types of transfers are excluded varies in the closed systems of physics, chemistry or engineering. Types of Systems

Pedosphere

Atmosphere Lithosphere

Biosphere Hydrosphere

The Earth System’s Spheres A Box Modeling of Systems

• How can we study or observe complicated systems such as the biosphere or the atmosphere? • Models – A way to keep track of matter or energy (for example – carbon, nitrogen, ozone, heat) – Used to predict (or retrodict) in the absence of complete data – Models can be either very detailed or very general – General models may yield as much valuable information as very detailed models – Trade-offs: the more detailed the model, the more time it takes to develop the model and run it – Box Models – a simple type of model Atmosphere | Regulates the Earth's climate, transports energy and matter around the planet Biosphere | The chemical engine that supplies energy and nutrients to most life on Earth Hydrosphere

The universal solvent, transport agent, H2O is essential for physiological processes Lithosphere

Comprises the hard, rigid outer layer of the Earth and subdivided into tectonic plates, reacts chemically to the atmo-, hydro-, and biosphere. Pedosphere | Foundation of terrestrial ecosystems, source of nutrients, supplies H2O, and habitat for soil organisms and vegetation. Pedosphere

Atmosphere Lithosphere

Biosphere Hydrosphere

The Earth System’s Spheres Atmosphere

Major Constuents (by volume) N2 (Nitrogen) | 78%, 780,840 ppm O2 (Oxygen) | 21%, 209,460 ppm

Minor Constuents Ar (Argon) | 1%, 9,340 ppm Water Vapor | 1%, highly variable

CO2 (Carbon dioxide) | 0.04%, 406 ppm Ne (Neon) | 0.002%, 18 ppm He (Helium) | 0.0005% ppm

Hydrosphere

Sea Water

Major Constuents (by volume)

H2O (Water) | 96.5%, 965,000 ppm NaCl (Sodium Chloride, Salt) | 3.5%, 35,000 ppm

Minor Constuents of Salt (sum to 3.5% total)

Biosphere

Human Body (% by mass)

Major Constuents* O (Oxygen) | 65% C (Carbon) | 18% H (Hydrogen) | 9.5% N (Nitrogen) | 3.2%

Minor Constuents Ca (Calcium) | 1.5% P (Phosphorus) | 1.2%

*The human body is 62% H2O (water)

Biosphere Plants (% by mass)

Forms of Essential Elements Taken up by Plants

Refresh: The superscript refers to the net charge of the ion. Ions are atoms or molecules that have gained or lost one or more valence electrons giving the ion a net posive (i.e., caon) or negave (anion) charge. Lithosphere

Minor Constuents Na, Mg, K, N, H, and others

Pedosphere

Major Constuents (Highly Variable) Solids | 50% Air | 25%

H2O (water) | 25%

Solids Breakdown 45% mineral parcles (inorganic) 5% organic maer

Organic Maer 80% Humus, 10% roots, 10% organisms

Carbon Breakdown Organic C: ~ 0.5 to 3.0 %SOC (kg Cm-2) Inorganic C: ranges from 15 to 50% of total carbon Total Inorganic Carbon = Total Carbon – Total Organic Carbon ECOSYSTEM BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Agenda 1:40 – 1:45 | Instructor Introduction 1:45 – 2:00 | Student Introduction 2:00– 2:30| Introduction to Ecosystem Biogeochemistry 2:30– 3:00 | Syllabus Orientation