Instructor:

Dennis Baldocchi
Professor of Biometeorology
Ecosystem Science Division
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management
& Berkeley Atmospheric Science Center
345 Hilgard Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720

Email: Baldocchi@nature.berkeley.edu
Phone: 510-642-2874
Fax: 510-643-5098
Web Site: http://nature.berkeley.edu/biometlab

version Aug 15, 2008

Course Description

In this course we study the 'Breathing' of the Terrestrial Biosphere. This is accomplished by describes the physical environment (light, wind, temperature, humidity) about plants and the soil, by understanding how the physical environment affects the physiological status plants and how status and capacity of plants and the underying soil affect their physical environment. Hence, the nature of this course is very multi- and intra disciplinary, drawing on aspects of micrometeorology, soil physics, physiological ecology, ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. This course accomplishes its goals by examining the physical, biological and chemical processes that affect the transfer of momentum, energy and material (water, CO2, and atmospheric trace gases) between vegetation and the atmosphere. Instrumentation and measurements, associated with the study of plant biometeorology, are also discussed.

Course Schedule and Student Involvement

The class will meet three times per week (MWF 11-12) at 306 Wellman Hall. Hour lectures will be presented. Discussion and questions by the class is encouraged.

Grading: 1000 pts

midterm I: 250 pt

midterm II: 250 pt

5 homework assignments, 250 pt (50 pts each)

Final: 250 pts

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Class Lecture Material, Web Page and Figures

Attendence is strongly encouraged.

Pdf copies of lecture overheads and material that augments the lectures is available for downloading on a lecture by lecture basis from the following table.

One source of data for assignments is the FLUXNET web page (Fluxnet Web page); scientists, from throughout the world are posting their data on canopy microclimate and mass and energy fluxes. Other homework assignments will involve numerical calculations and solving problem sets.

Course material is available on:

http://nature.berkeley.edu/biometlab/espm129

A Reference Textbook is

Campbell and Norman. An Introduction to Environmental Biophysics.

Lecture	Lecture Notes	Slides	Assignments/Class Enrichment/Resources/Data
Unit 1, Introduction
1, Aug 27 Biometeorology Overview, Concepts and Principles			Background Material Enrichment: Walk in the Woods
Unit 2, Plant and Atmosphere Characteristics
2, Aug 29 Canopy Structure, Part I, Plant Atmosphere Interactions
3, Sept 1	Labor Day, Holiday
Sept 3 Canopy Structure Part II, Leaf Area Index			Enrichment: Leaf Area Index
4, Sept 5 Canopy Structure, Part III, Plants, Leaves Roots
5, Sept 8 Canopy Structure, Part IV Biogeography			Web Resources: Go to the USGS Climate-Vegetation Atlas of North America http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1650-a/ Examine how the climate factors describing forests in the western US differ from those in the East. What are some of the key factors?
6, Sept 10 Canopy Structure, Part V, Phenology			Greening Earth. Go to the NASA Web page and construct an animation that shows how the Earth's greeness varies over the course of a year, or several years. How far north is it green in March, April and May in North America vs Europe? http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory/Datasets/ndvi.fasir.html
7, Sept 12 Solar Radiation Part I, Principles
8, Sept 15  Solar Radiation II
9, Sept 17 Solar Radiation, Part III			Assignment I: Solar Energy and Planck's Law
10, Sept 19 Radiative Transfer in Plant Canopies, part I Concept
11, Sept 22 Radiative Transfer in Plant Canopies, Part II
12, Sept 24 Radiative Transfer III			Assignment II, Radiation transfer through foliage
13, Sept 26 Temperature and Thermodynamics, I
14. Sept 29 Temperature and Thermodynamics, II			Resources: Gridded Weather/Climate Data Daymet.org California Irrigation Management System California Climate Data Archive
15 Oct 1 Temperature and Thermodynamics, III
16 Oct 3   Humidity and Trace Gases, Part 1
17, Oct 6 Humidity and Trace Gases, Part 2			Assignment III, Gas Laws
18, Oct 8 Wind and Turbulence, Sfc Bound. Layer, I
19, Oct 10 Wind and Turbulence, Sfc Bound. Layer, II
20, Oct 13 Wind and Turbulence, Sfc Bound. Layer, III
Oct 15 Midterm I.
21, Oct 17 Wind and Turbulence, Sfc Bound. Layer, IV
22, Oct 20 Wind and Turbulence, Canopy, I
23, Oct 22 Wind and Turbulence, Canopy, II
24, Oct 24 Instrumentation and Meteorological Measurements
Unit 3, Mass and Energy Exchange
25, Oct 27 Concepts of Flux and Mass Conservation, I			Assignment IV Calculations, Respiration Chambers
26 Oct 29 Leaf Boundary Layers, I			.
27 Oct 31 Leaf Boundary Layers, II
28, Nov 3 leaf Energy Balance, I
29 Nov 5 Leaf Energy Balance, II			Assignment:V Leaf Energy Balance
30 Nov 7  Stomatal Conductance, Concepts I
31 Nov 10 Stomatal Conductance, Observations II
32 Nov 12 Stomatal Conductance, Theory III
33 Nov 14 Canopy Evaporation, I, Theory
Nov 17 Midterm II
34, Nov 19 Canopy Evaporation, II
35, Nov 21 Soil Physics, I: Heat Transfer
36 November 24 Soil Physics, II: Water Transfer
37, Nov 26 Leaf Photosynthesis
Nov 28 THANKSGIVING
38,Dec 1 Canopy CO2 Exchange, I, Carbon Balance Concepts
39, December 3 Canopy CO2 Exchange, II
40, December 5 Canopy CO2 Exchange, III, observations
41 December 8 Plant Atmosphere Interactions
42 December 10, Overview
Dec 13 1230-1530	FINAL