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GPHY 411 - Biogeochemical Cycles

Course Coordinator Dr. Melissa Lafrenière Email: melissa.lafreniere@queensu.ca

Office D124 Macintosh-Corry Hall
Contact Time Two 1.5 hour lecture and seminar Phone: 613-533-6000 xtn 78720
hours per week
Format Lectures, laboratory and practical assignments based on field, map, and airphoto analyses
Class Assessment Reading Assignments 42% 6 Assignments(Weeks 3-11)
Oral Seminar 18% Weeks 3-11
Research Proposal 25% Week 12
Participation and Attendance 15% Weeks 2-12

COURSE OVERVIEW

Understanding the concepts and processes involved in biogeochemical cycles is key to understanding earth systems
science. Many problems associated with global change have roots in anthropogenic disruptions of natural biogeochemical
cycles, for example, nutrients, toxic metals and other pollutants. Lectures will cover the fundamental concepts required to
understand and quantify biogeochemical cycles. Through the lectures, assigned readings and seminars students will
examine the processes that control the transfer and transformation of material between earth’s various geospheres, and
the research methods used to study biogeochemical cycles. The course will focus primarily on the biogeochemical cycles
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and a few metals and contaminants. The overall aim of this course is to enable
students to explore and understand the key processes involved in the major biogeochemical cycles and develop an
understanding of the research process (the key methodologies, analytical tools, technological tools) employed in
biogeochemical research through the exploration of scientific literature and the development of a research proposal.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

 To enable students to improve their ability to understand and evaluate scientific literature
 To enable students to understand the cycles of key biogeochemical elements (C, N, S, P).
 To learn the important reservoirs, key processes and anthropogenic disruptions of key biogeochemical cycles.
 To learn the key methodologies, analytical and technological tools employed in biogeochemical research
 To develop a research proposal that utilizes some of the research methods and analytical tools explored in class to
address a biogeochemical research question.

COURSE TOPICS
Origin of elements, earth and life; biogeochemical cycles, chemistry of organic molecules, concept of thermodynamics and
metabolic processes; biogeochemical processes in the atmosphere, soils and water; stable isotopes in biogeochemical
cycles, biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.

SELECTED COURSE TEXTS & READINGS

Course text: Schlesinger, W.H and Bernhardt, E.S. (2013) Biogeochemistry: an analysis of global change, 3rd Edition. 672
pp.
Reading Assignments: I will assign 1-2 recently published scientific journal articles approximately every week that will
serve as the basis of the reading assignments and seminars.