Introduction to Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University
Lund University is a public research university in Sweden and one of northern Europe’s top universities, it was built in 1666, ranked among the Top 100 comprehensive universities in the world (QS World Ranking 97 in 2020; U.S. News Ranking 91), with 40,000 students and 8,160 faculty members. Lund University has more than 8.8 billion euros in annual turnover and 60% of it is used in scientific research.
Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science in Lund University (hereinafter referred to as the Department of Geography) is the collaborating group that supports summer school. The subject ranking of this Department is 24th around the world. It is dedicated to the study of how climate and environmental change affect the structural function and composition of terrestrial ecosystems and has achieved significant results in ecological modelling, remote sensing monitoring, geographic information science and climate change. The European Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) carbon portal was established by the Department of Geography. Data from the carbon portal has been measured and monitored by carbon flux observation stations across Europe. Currently, ICOS has 86 flux observation stations in 12 countries.
The collaborating teacher group is a core team of the Department of Geography. This group created the LPJ-GUESS which is a global dynamic vegetation model and has a high international reputation in the field of global change ecology and plant dynamics modelling. It remains a long-term collaboration with several European research institutions (including Max Planck Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT). The LPJ-GUESS model has been widely used in major international projects such as the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 & 6 and the Global Carbon Project.
Beijing Normal University (College of Water Sciences) and Lund University (Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science) jointly organized “2022 BNU Summer School | Eco-hydrological modelling and LPJ-GUESS International Course” in August 2022.