PhD course: Ecophysiological concepts and applications in forests, 7.5 ECTS

By linking measurements at the cellular, leaf, or root level to processes occurring across entire canopies and ecosystems, ecophysiology provides a mechanistic understanding of how forests respond to changing conditions, such as climate change or management practices.

The course contains several weeks of online journal clubs with seminars lead by teachers, and also an approximately 2-week field section where students and teachers meet in person. The course is given bi-annually, and the venue for the field period changes from year to year (in 2023, Vindeln, in northern Sweden; in 2025 Bangkok, Thailand). The venue is chosen to present some relevant and exciting forest scientific infrastructure for course excursions. 

This course is structured around the following themes: biometry, soil, nitrogen, water, climate, photosynthesis, and modeling. Each topic includes a combination of literature study, lectures, seminars or exercises, and at least one dedicated field day. Throughout the course, students will develop the ability to apply ecophysiological principles and techniques to issues related to forest growth. The principles are equally applicable to any type of forest ecosystem.

Due to the varying course venue, some of the practicalities related to the course may change from year to year. The course is open to PhD students in any related field, from within SLU other universities. If you read this and think the course sounds interesting, then please go ahead and register your interest on this page! Then we will contact you when the next course instance is planned.

Ecophysiology explores how organisms interact with their environment, focusing on the exchange of elements between organisms and their surroundings.

The course covers seven topic areas, over a duration of six weeks, corresponding to 7.5 ECTS. The topic areas are: biometry, soil, nitrogen, water, climate, photosynthesis, and modeling. Each topic will be represented by several papers for the literature study and at least one field-day during the field period, as well as lectures and seminars, or exercises.

During the course, students will learn to apply ecophysiological principles and methods to a range of topics related to forest growth.

The first part of the course can be attended remotely, and during the final part we will all meet for the field period of the course. During this time, indoor classes led by prominent experts will be complemented by outdoor exercises and visits to scientific field sites.

The location of the field period may vary between course instances, to highlight the applicability of ecophysiological approaches to forest research in a broad range of contexts.

For more information contact Nils Henriksson