Global change

Population structure, function, development, and evolution. Topics include population structure, population growth and regulation, metapopulations, predation, competition, species diversity, ecosystem function, macroecology, and island biogeography. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences E106.

Special topics courses are offered from time to time. Course content varies with interest of the instructor. Prerequisites: Public Health 1 and in some cases, consent of the instructor.

Introduction to the basic science and state of predictability of various natural catastrophic events including hurricanes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, as well as possibly future climate catastrophes including severe droughts, abrupt climate change, thermohaline circulation collapse and sea level rise.

Introduction to the analysis of human population including fertility, mortality dispersion, sex distribution. Attention is focused on the effects of these variables on, e.g., over-population, social disorganization, and the stability of social institutions.

Human behavior in a geographical context. Spatial patterns and organization of the cultural, social, and economic activities of man as imposed on and influenced by the earth’s physical setting.

The role of terrestrial processes in the Earth system. Provides an introduction to ecosystem processes that regulate the cycling of energy, water, carbon, and nutrients. Analysis of the impact of human activities. Prerequisite: Chemistry 1C.

Explores basic topics in ecology and evolutionary biology and applications to agriculture, conservation, environmental issues, and public health. Format involves discussion of scientific journal articles and other readings, with focus on learning to evaluate scientific evidence. Prerequisite or corequisite: Biological Sciences E106.

An examination of the interactions between plants and their environment. Emphasis on the underlying physiological mechanisms of plant function, adaptations and responses to stress, and the basis of the distribution of plants and plant assemblages across the landscape. Prerequisites: Biological Sciences E106 or Earth System Science 51 or 60A and 60C. Same as Earth System Science 168.