Biogeochemical Cycles and Climate

Changing concentrations of greenhouse gasses are key to our changing climate. Biogeochemical Cycles and Climate examines the interaction of the main biogeochemical cycles of the earth with the physics of climate from the perspective of the earth as an integrated system. Biogeochemical cycles play a fundamental role in the Earth's system - they describe the movement of matter and transfer of energy around the planet. This text aims to answer some fundamental questions. How have the cycles of key nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and water changed, both in the geological past and more recently through the impact of humans on the Earth System? How do these cycles interact with each other and affect the physical properties of climate? How can we use this knowledge to mitigate some of the impacts of changing biogeochemistry on climate, and the Earth's habitability and resilience? Understanding the complex interactions of biogeochemistry with the Earth's climate is crucial for understanding past and current changes in climate and above all, for the future sustainable management of our planet.

Han Dolman, Professor in Ecohydrology, Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Han Dolman studied biology and acquired a PhD in physical geography. He worked at the UK's Institute of Hydrology in parametrizing land surface processes in climate models. After that he worked in Wageningen where after the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 his attention focussed very much on carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. Since 2003 he has been a professor in ecohydrology at the Department of Earth Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam where he teaches and performs research in climate and carbon science. He was awarded the prestigious Vladimir Vernadsky Medal of the European Geophysical Union in 2013. He also received the Presidential gold medal of honour from Yakutia for his work on carbon in permafrost systems.