AnaEE Denmark's PLEN Agrosystems: Where Science Meets Climate Action

A Living Laboratory for Climate Research

The Højbakkegård facility offers researchers a unique environment to study ecosystem responses to climate change. As one visiting researcher, Frederik Nygaard Philipsen, noted during the summer school

- It's a really nice site with a lot of calluna, referring to the heather that characterizes this distinctive ecosystem. 

The experimental setup at the facility has proven invaluable for understanding how these plant communities might respond to future climatic changes, providing crucial data for both scientific understanding and policy development.

Bridging Science and Society

The AMAGS course tackled one of today's most pressing challenges: how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining food security and sustainable biomass production. This 2.5 ECTS, five-day intensive program exemplified AnaEE's commitment to training the next generation of environmental scientists with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience.

For the participants, the course represented more than just academic learning. As one PhD student reflected, their journey from chemistry to environmental science was driven by a desire to address meaningful, real-world problems.

- I could see that the biggest problem that we are trying to solve were not visible as I couldn't see the problem in the places that I was living. And that's why we have very nice questions, but also very complex. Multidisciplinary knowledge is necessay and hopefully I can apply this knowledge into something meaningful, says Camille Nunes Leite.

This sentiment captures the essence of what makes AnaEE Denmark's facilities so valuable – they provide spaces where complex environmental questions can be explored through multidisciplinary approaches, bringing together researchers from diverse backgrounds to tackle shared challenges.

The Role of Science in Climate Action

The summer school participants and researchers emphasized science's dual role in addressing climate change: informing decision-makers and actively participating in societal discussions. As one researcher put it, science must both "inform policymakers and people that can actually make a change" while also being "a more participating part of the debate so that we can have the most well-informed discussion as a society."

Looking Forward

The success of the AMAGS course at Højbakkegård demonstrates the power of combining world-class research infrastructure with international collaboration and training. By bringing together students from eight countries to study greenhouse gas fluxes in this unique Danish ecosystem, AnaEE Denmark continues to build the global community of researchers needed to address our climate challenges.

The facility stands as a testament to how research infrastructure can serve multiple purposes: advancing scientific understanding, training future scientists, and fostering the international collaboration essential for addressing global environmental challenges.

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The AMAGS course was co-organized by AnaEE TC, AnaEE Denmark, and the University of Copenhagen, highlighting the collaborative spirit that drives AnaEE's mission to support ecosystem research across Europe.