Global Change Ecology
PBIO 275 (3 credits)

Spring 2011 Tuesday / Thursday 2:30-3:45 (Jeffords 227)

Instructor: Brian Beckage (Brian.Beckage@uvm.edu)

Office Hours: Tuesday 3:45-4:45 pm; Thursday 1:15-2:15 pm; Jeffords 345

Course Description

Global Change Ecology will be a seminar style course that will provide an introductory survey of global climate change: its causes, mechanisms, and impacts.  We will consider a wide range of concepts, from global circulation patterns to migration of ecological communities in response to warming.

The course will consist of some lectures, but will primarily be comprised of presentation and discussion of readings. Emphasis will be placed on the recent literature, but will also include readings from various books.

Course Prerequisites

A course in general ecology or permission of the instructor.  The course is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Course Text and Supplementary Materials.

• Lovejoy, T.E. and L. Hannah, editors. 2005. Climate change and biodiversity. Yale University Press. 418p. Course text. Available in unversity bookstore.
• Kerry A. Emanuel. 2007.What we know about climate change MIT Press. 85p. Course supplement on reserve in UVM library.
• Jared M. Diamond . 2005. Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed. Viking. Course supplement on reserve in UVM library.
• Lester R. Brown. 2011. World on the edge. Free to download. Course supplement.

Grading

Student grades will be based on four components:

1. A research paper on some aspect of global change ecology that will be due during the exam period at the end of the semester (25% of course grade). Student will select their own topic but topics are subject to my approval.
2. A corresponding class presentation on this same research topic will be given earlier in the semester (25% of course grade). The presentation should be 15 minutes long with 5 minutes for questions. Students should provide an electronic presentation (using powerpoint, keynote, or similar presentation software).
3. Each student will present a chapter of Lovejoy and Hannah (course text) and this will account for 25% of course grade. Students will sign up for one of the selected chapters at the beginning of the semester.
4. Student participation in class discussions of research papers and book chapters (25% of course grade) .
   

Syllabus (check back periodically for updates as the schedule is still being developed):

(L1~Lovejoy and Hannah 2005 chapter 1, etc. E~ Emanuel 2007. D~Diamond 2005. B~Brown 2011)