BIOL 3200 Ecology in a Changing Climate

In the midst of widespread global climate change, Earth's biodiversity faces multiple synergistic threats. Climate change, habitat loss, pollution, over extraction, and invasive species threaten all species on Earth including our own. The tools of Ecology can help to understand these threats. Advances in science and modeling enable us to make predictions about future climate and ecosystem conditions, but these predictions have their limitations. Focusing solely on climate models and predictions of future scenarios and biodiversity loss can lead to feelings of hopelessness and desperation. To work towards an equitable, sustainable future for all species on Earth (including Homo sapiens) we need to learn about positive visions for the future, we need to be able to critically assess potential solutions, we need to examine examples of effective solutions, and we need to consider the roles we each can play in bringing about a positive future. In this course we will do these things together. Over the course of the semester, each student will integrate technical scientific literature, a variety of views and perspectives on how we interact with the natural world around us, and personal reflection to create an individual plan of action.