Description
This course will address major issues concerning the impact of human activities on the Earth system. These will include the role of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in carbon and nutrient cycling, the impacts of past climate change on biota, the significance of biodiversity loss on ecosystem processes and strategies to mitigate climate change.
This course will address selected major issues concerning the role of biological processes in the Earth System and the impact on these of human activities.
Discussion will include carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, the impacts of past climate change on biota, the significance of biodiversity loss on ecosystem processes and strategies to mitigate climate change.
Learning Outcomes
• Acquire an in-depth appreciation of important concepts in global change biology;
• Develop a sophisticated understanding of the processes that control the response of terrestrial ecosystems to global change drivers at a variety of scales ranging from individuals to ecosystems and landscapes;
• Know how to apply ecological knowledge to solve problems in global change biology;
• Display a high level of critical thinking including critique and synthesis of research, development of hypotheses, research objectives and methodologies, and integration of theory and applications;
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the ecological research process;
• Develop a high level of communication skills appropriate for a number of audiences, including oral presentation, report writing/critique, and research proposal development;
Course Coordinator / Lecturer
Matthew Turnbull
Lecturers
Richard Holdaway
, Dr David Whitehead (Landcare Research, Lincoln)
and Dr Ellen Cieraad (Landcare Research, Lincoln)
Assessment
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Research Proposal
|
|
30%
|
|
Final Exam
|
|
60%
|
|
Verbal Presentation of Research Proposal
|
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10%
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For further information see
School of Biological Sciences.
All BIOL479 Occurrences
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BIOL479-12W (C)
Whole Year 2012
Previous Year
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