Ecophysiology of Global Change

Catalog description

Global change is an emerging threat to human health and economic stability. Rapid changes in climate, land use, and prevalence of non-native species generate novel conditions outside the range of typical conditions under which organisms evolved. Already we are witnessing the global redistribution of plants and animals, changes in the timing of critical life cycle events, and in some cases local extinction of populations. This course explores the impacts of global change on biological systems at levels from individuals to ecosystems; among animals, plants and microbes; across ecological to evolutionary timescales; and from local to global spatial scales. Throughout, physiology is emphasized as a core driver of biological responses to global change. Traditional lectures will be accompanied by discussions of primary literature articles. The laboratory component will involve the development of an independent project at the University Farm, and dissemination of results through traditional (e.g. written paper) and new (e.g. podcast) media. This class will fulfill a laboratory requirement of the B.A. in Biology. This class will fulfill an additional laboratory requirement of the B.S. in Biology. Offered as BIOL 353 and BIOL 453 . Prereq: Graduate Standing.