Sessions

NEW integrated sessions (merged old sessions 1-13)

1. Nutrient and carbon fluxes at catchment/landscape level, remote sensing of biogeochemical fluxes (old 1 + old 2 + old 5)
2. Biogeochemistry of lakes, rivers and wetlands (3 + 4)
3. Fluxes between atmosphere and ecosystems (6 + 7 + 8)
4. Soil and microbial processes, trace elements and micropollutants, biodiversity issues (9 + 10 + 11)
5. Ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation, peatland processes (12 +13)

Old sessions

1   Nutrient fluxes at catchment level

2   Integration of terrestrial and aquatic carbon fluxes across the landscape

3   Biogeochemistry of lakes and rivers

4   Biogeochemistry of natural and constructed wetlands

5   Remote sensing for modeling of biogeochemical fluxes

6   Fluxes between atmosphere & ecosystems

7   Aerosols and VOCs in ecosystem functioning

8   Methane & nitrous oxide fluxes from trees

9   Biodiversity issues of ecosystem behavior

10 Biogeochemistry of trace elements and micropollutants in ecosystems

11 Soil and microbial processes

12 Ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation

13 Peatland processes

---

1   Nutrient fluxes at catchment level

Determining nutrient concentrations in surface waters and groundwater is achieved by analysing the presence of contributing sources, nutrient transport routes, as well as the existing chemical and biological processes present in a river catchment. Nutrient cycles at river catchment level are, therefore, very complex. In order to find solutions in improving water quality, a hydrological system understanding, taking into account all of the aforementioned factors and their interrelations, is necessary.

Conveners: Evelyn Uuemaa (Uni Tartu, Estonia), Julien Tournebize (INRAE, France)

 

2   Integration of terrestrial and aquatic carbon fluxes across the landscape

Carbon exchange between the continent and the atmosphere is among the most uncertain components of the global carbon cycle. The reason for this is that continental landscapes are made up of a heterogeneous mosaic of elements like forests, wetlands, inland waters, and other environments that each have their own ecosystem properties and processes. This complexity has led to conceptual compartmentalization in landscape carbon budgets, where each landscape element is treated independently of the others. In nature, however, terrestrial and aquatic elements of the landscape are interconnected and dependent on each other. Thus, the current compartmentalized perspective misses integral aspects of the structure and functioning of the landscape and therefore poses a risk of biased estimates of land-atmosphere carbon exchange. In this regard, an improved integration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is paramount which requires increased synthesis between the respective research disciplines. In this session, we welcome contributions that integrate carbon dynamics of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems either conceptually, experimentally, or in the field at local to regional scales

Convener: Pascal Bodmer (Uni Quebec, Canada)

 

3   Biogeochemistry of lakes and rivers

Lake and peatland ecosystems respond differently than upland ecosystems to environmental perturbations including changes in climate, land-use and deposition. A combination of long-term data analysis, integrated catchment-lake modelling and experimental approaches is needed to study influences and interactions of multiple and complex ecosystem variables in heterogeneous surface-water containing landscapes. In this session, we welcome contributions evaluating biogeochemical responses of lake and river ecosystems using integrative modelling, statistical analysis or experimental techniques.

Convener: Martin Forsius (SYKE, Finland)

4   Biogeochemistry of natural and constructed wetlands

The role of wetlands in the global biogeochemical cycle and in the process of climate change is well known. This session focuses on the biogeochemical processes in both natural and artificial (constructed) wetlands. Of particular interest is the relationship and complexity of the various material cycles, eg of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in wetlands.

Conveners: Jan Vymazal (Czech University of Agricultural Sciences, Czech Republic), Klaus-Holger Knorr (Uni Münster, Germany)

 

5   Remote sensing for modeling of biogeochemical fluxes

 

Remote sensing data (including radar and optical data) have been widely employed for modelling biogeochemical fluxes (e.g., water, carbon and nitrogen fluxes). Today, with the unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution and accumulation of remote sensing data, we have much more opportunities to exploit modelling techniques and approaches in various types of ecosystems.

This session aims to show the new challenges and opportunities in using remote sensing data to extract/retrieve fundamental environmental variables (e.g., LST, GPP, NPP, soil moisture, fraction of land use and land cover) used for modelling biogeochemical fluxes in various types of ecosystems. We invited researcher to show the cutting-edge methods of spatio-temporal modelling fluxes and new applications in this field.

Conveners: Iuliia Burdun (Aalto Uni, Finland)

 

6   Fluxes between atmosphere & ecosystems

Improving the understanding of the current processes driving the net fluxes of greenhouse gases or reactive gases between the atmosphere and ecosystems is crucial to predict, for example, the behavior of land carbon sink or the strength of wetland methane sources in the future changing climate. Also, the impact of land management on air quality, or the impact of air pollutants on surface vegetation deserves more attention. We invite studies related to measurements and/or modeling of atmosphere-biosphere exchange of different greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) or other gases (O₃, NHx, NOx…). Developments in different flux measurement techniques, such as the micrometeorological or chamber methods, as well as those of gap-filling, modeling or upscaling methodologies are welcomed as well.

Conveners: Annalea Lohila  (FMI, Finland), Kaido Soosaar (Uni Tartu, Estonia), Kuno Kasak  (Uni Tartu, Estonia)

 

7   Aerosols and VOCs in ecosystem functioning

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions involve a complex set of physical and chemical processes presenting an exciting area of research. The quantity and composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from ecosystems and their fate in the atmosphere are influenced by many ecosystem and environmental drivers. Once emitted to the atmosphere, VOCs are immediately exposed to atmospheric oxidants and are further transformed to an array of new compounds, including both highly volatile and extremely low volatile oxidation (ELVOCs) products. ELVOCs can form atmospheric particles and transform ecosystem emissions to cloud condensation nuclei and consequently to clouds. This session invites talks concentrating on VOC emissions from whole ecosystems and ecosystem components, VOC atmospheric chemistry and aerosol formation.

Convener: Heikki Junninen (Uni Tartu, Estonia)

 

8   Methane & nitrous oxide fluxes from trees

Methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) are important greenhouse gases (GHGs) naturally exchanged by forest ecosystems. Even though it is evident that trees can contribute to the ecosystem-atmosphere GHGs exchange by emission and uptake of CH₄ and N₂O, the role of trees is still overlooked and their exchange potential is not included in the forest ecosystem CH₄ and N₂O inventories.
The session addresses researchers working worldwide on tree and forest ecosystem CH₄ and N₂O fluxes and their dynamics, related production and consumption processes, transport mechanisms, interactions in terrestrial ecosystems and modelling studies at the soil-tree-ecosystem-atmosphere level.

Conveners: Kateřina Macháčová (GCRI, CAS: Brno, Czech Republic), Sunitha Pangala (Uni Lancaster, United Kingdom)

 

9   Biodiversity issues of ecosystem behavior

We are living in the era of new mass extinction of species. According to several estimations, the biodiversity loss is the most critical environmental item, already exceeding the planetary system’s tolerance threshold and reaching a tipping point towards even faster losses. In previous BIOGEOMON conferences, the biodiversity problems have been under-represented or even overlooked. Therefore, one of the aims of BIOGEOMON2022 is to integrate biodiversity aspects into the context of biogeochemical processes. Both above ground and below ground biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems belong to the potential targets. A focus is given to the relationships of landscape/land-use diversity and biodiversity.

Conveners: Aveliina Helm (Uni Tartu, Estonia)

 

10  Biogeochemistry of trace elements and micropollutants in ecosystems

The increasing worldwide pollution of soil and freshwater ecosystems with thousands of industrial and natural elements and molecules in low concentrations is one of the key environmental problems facing humanity. This session will focus on novel conceptual and experimental approaches to understand the fate, the tunover and the transformation of trace elements and organic micropollutants and assess their impact on natural ecosystem health. The session will offer a platform for scientists, regulators and environmental professionals working on trace elements and organic micropolluants in natural ecosystems across multiple disciplines to present the state-of-art research findings and discuss how the knowledge can be used for improving the ecosystem and human health.

Conveners: Gwenaël Imfeld (Uni Strasbourg, France), Elodie Passeport (Uni Toronto, Canada), Liisa Ukonmaanaho (LUKE, Finland)

 

11  Soil and microbial processes

Belowground processes in the soil play an important role in functioning of all terrestrial ecosystems.  This session invites for a dialogue among researchers working with belowground processes, including soil chemical and physical environment, roots, root-associated micro- and macrobiota as well as turnover of soil organic matter. We also encourage submissions addressing regional and global patterns of distribution and diversity of soil biota as well as in-depth studies on mechanisms underpinning adaptation and co-existence of roots and their associated soil biota in changing environmental conditions.  

Conveners: Ivika Ostonen (Uni Tartu, Estonia), Maarja Öpik (Uni Tartu, Estonia)

 

12  Ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation

Any cases dealing with restoration or rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems are welcome, from theories, technologies, to management strategies. For example, reforestation, wetlands restoration, mining sites rehabilitation, and wise management of ecosystems dominated by invasive species.

Convener: Christian Sanders (Southern Cross Uni, Australia)

 

13  Peatland processes

This session welcomes all research related to peatland biogeochemistry, from microbial processes to continental or global-scale investigations. Topics could include (but are not limited to) novel microbial mechanisms, vegetation-microbe interactions, links between physical or ecological structure and biogeochemical cycling, and scaling-up and modelling of peatland processes.

Conveners: Melanie Vile (Uni West Chester PA, USA), Nancy Dise (CEH, United Kingdom)