The five-day limnology field course offers students the opportunity to apply and deepen their understanding of the material covered in the summer semester’s limnology lecture at various bodies of water. Students independently investigate physical and chemical processes, such as light, heat, movement, and material cycles. The focus is on organisms and their interactions within food webs and (sub)ecosystems. In addition, eutrophication, acidification, and shoreline disturbances are analyzed.

During a one-day field trip, the biological and geochemical processes of the fundamental “spheres” of planet Earth—the hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere—are explored in relation to one another. The focus is on the most important global material cycles. The characteristics of Earth’s various climate zones are examined, as well as several key ecosystems (lakes, wetlands, and permafrost). Special emphasis is placed on the application of modern biogeochemical methods, such as the analysis of stable, light isotopes, working with global datasets, and modeling. Together, participants will identify open questions in Earth system science and develop possible experimental approaches to address them.

Geoecology is particularly focused on fostering nature-based problem-solving skills and analytical expertise for a changing world. For this reason, we organize an annual one-week field trip to sites of geoecological significance throughout Europe. In addition to guided tours and explorations, the trip includes a substantial project component in which small groups work on specific topics. Evenings are set aside for lectures and discussion sessions.

The field trip is aimed primarily at students of geoecology (especially those in their 1st through 4th semesters of the bachelor’s program). However, anyone interested in processes and field analysis methods in various regions is welcome to participate.

In 2023, this field trip took place in Switzerland at the Aletsch Glacier. The landscape development of this region has been strongly shaped by the last ice ages. The natural environment around the retreating glacier reveals a landscape in transition and is therefore geoecologically diverse, encompassing aspects of Alpine vegetation, glaciology, Alpine aquatic ecology, climate change, and much more. 

A one-day field trip is offered to first-semester students so that, after the first few weeks of what is largely a theoretical course of study and an exploration of the fundamentals of the natural sciences, they can gain their first hands-on outdoor experiences.

Starting at the Holzhau train station, the walking excursion follows the Freiberger Mulde River, passes the Teichhaus, and continues to the German-Czech border (don’t forget your IDs!). Along the way, various experiments are conducted, and the results are discussed on the way back (presumably at the Teichhaus). We will examine different landscape types within an old cultural landscape—including varied forest cover, the influence of agricultural practices, and areas that have become boggy or swampy—and discuss how these landscapes respond to various environmental influences. Overall, the excursion will cover topics from atmospheric and climate research, soil and water research, landscape development and site ecology, as well as ecology in the narrower sense—in other words, a truly interdisciplinary excursion, typical of geoecology.