EMoGrIS | Ecological Modelling of the Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Ecosystem

Summary
Glaciers and ice sheets contain distinct ecosystems and are very vulnerable to the ongoing climate change, with potentially significant impacts. However, predictions of future glacier ecosystem change are virtually impossible due to the lack of a theoretical framework of glacier and ice sheet ecosystems that would enable their mathematical modelling. The principal aims of the proposed fellowship are to provide a theoretical framework of the microbe-dominated supraglacial (glacier surface) ecosystem of the Greenland Ice Sheet and to develop a tool for prediction of the future change of the ecosystem, and to establish the Greenland Ice Sheet as a model ecosystem for studying microbial biogeography and diversity patterns. This will be achieved through developing a conceptual model of the system, its mathematical formulation, verification and validation, and subsequent simulations of future climatic scenarios. Furthermore, a sampling strategy will be developed allowing direct testing of relevant ecological hypotheses such as the diversity-productivity relationship. A two-way knowledge transfer is a key feature of this project: The Fellow will take advantage of the expertise of the Supervisor and the Department in ecological theory and modelling, while transferring his knowledge of glaciers as microbe-dominated ecosystems to the Department.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/657533
Start date: 01-01-2016
End date: 31-12-2017
Total budget - Public funding: 142 720,80 Euro - 142 720,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Glaciers and ice sheets contain distinct ecosystems and are very vulnerable to the ongoing climate change, with potentially significant impacts. However, predictions of future glacier ecosystem change are virtually impossible due to the lack of a theoretical framework of glacier and ice sheet ecosystems that would enable their mathematical modelling. The principal aims of the proposed fellowship are to provide a theoretical framework of the microbe-dominated supraglacial (glacier surface) ecosystem of the Greenland Ice Sheet and to develop a tool for prediction of the future change of the ecosystem, and to establish the Greenland Ice Sheet as a model ecosystem for studying microbial biogeography and diversity patterns. This will be achieved through developing a conceptual model of the system, its mathematical formulation, verification and validation, and subsequent simulations of future climatic scenarios. Furthermore, a sampling strategy will be developed allowing direct testing of relevant ecological hypotheses such as the diversity-productivity relationship. A two-way knowledge transfer is a key feature of this project: The Fellow will take advantage of the expertise of the Supervisor and the Department in ecological theory and modelling, while transferring his knowledge of glaciers as microbe-dominated ecosystems to the Department.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2014-EF

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2014
MSCA-IF-2014-EF Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF)