Advanced Ecology – Biology 45500
Climate Change Biology

Spring 2020 with RF Rockwell


bears on a flow


This course meets in a secure area of the American Museum.  Please go to the first floor, Central Park West securilty entrance between 10-1 or 2-4 to be processed and pick up your ID.  Do this prior to the first class meeting on 1/29/20.  On the 4th, meet me at the same area by 9:15 and I will show you how to get to the classroom.



This advanced ecology course will center on Climate Change Biology.  We will examine the underlying principles of climate dynamics.  We will consider the physical evidence for climate change and assess how human activities may be related to such change. 

We will then explore the potential impact such change is having on biological systems.  This will include effects on the ranges and phenologies of species as well as general ecosystem functioning.  As a backdrop for current change, we will explore historic climate impacts including the major earth extinction events.  Armed with past and current evidence, we will examine what the future may hold and how we might alter that future. 

The latter will include an objective assessment of the potential impacts of new solutions to old problems (e.g. Is producing and burning ethanol better for the global ecosystem than burning oil? Are wind farms really green?).  Finally we will examine the social implications of such change both locally and globally.

The primary text for the course is Lee J. Hannah.  2011. Climate Change Biology.  Academic Press, Burlington, MA.  This will be supplemented with reading from the technical and popular literature.  Lectures will also draw on Dr. Rockwell’s research on climate change effects on polar bears, their prey and arctic ecosystems in general.

The prerequisites for the course are: Bio 22800 and Math 20900.

The course will meet Wednesday 9:30AM to 12:00 noon at the American Museum of Natural History.


Lecture Schedule and Readings

datetopicreading
01/29The early bear gets the gooserockwell & company 2009,2011
02/05
no class

02/12no class
02/19Climate systems and climate changeHannah 1-2
02/26Species and range shifts; phenology shifts and mismatchesHannah 3-4
03/04Ecosystem changes; Past changes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems;  debate topics dueHannah 5-7
03/11Past changes in fresh water ecosystems;  ExtinctionsHannah 8-9; 10
03/18Insights from experimentsHannah 11-12
03/27Modeling responses and estimating extinction riskHannah 13-15
04/01
Implications for conservation; Finding solutions; review Hannah 16-18
04/08
spring break

04/15
spring break

04/22Written Exam
04/29
The Great Debates
05/06
The Great Debates
05/13
The Great Debates

Readings for the course
Rockwell, RF and LJ Gormezano.  2009.  The early bear gets the goose: climate change, polar bears and lesser snow geese in western Hudson Bay.  Polar Biology 32:539-547.
Rockwell, RF, LJ Gormezano and DN Koons.  2011.  Trophic matches and mismatches: Can polar bears reduce the abundance of nesting snow geese in western Hudson Bay?  Oikos 120:696-709.
Beaton, Will.  2014. Greenhouse gases: what every college student should know.
Lee J. Hannah.  2011. Climate Change Biology.  Academic Press, Burlington, MA.

Your grade in the course is based on the written exam (45%) and your participation in the Great Debates (45%).

In the Great Debates you and a partner will debate a topic against another 2-person team.  You and your partner will be graded based on your preparation and presentation (see below) and that will count for 45% of your course grade.

The remaining 10% of your grade will come from your participation in weekly discussions and the other debates (see below).

The Great Debates will be based on topics listed below.  For a given topic one team will prepare to defend the position given in the topic while the other will prepare to refute it.  The defending team gets 12 minutes to make its case and the opposing team will get 12 minutes to refute it.  Starting with the defending team, each team is given 4 minutes to challenge the opposition.  The debate is then opened to the class and everyone can both ask questions and challenge views presented.  You will be graded on your informed participation.

The debate propositions (topics) are:

1. 
Carbon emissions are causing climate change.
2. Solar energy is the solution to climate change.
3. Ethanol production will reduce our carbon footrint.
4. Increased use of electric cars will reduce our carbon footprint.
5. Wind power is an ecologically safe way to reduce our carbon footprint.
6. The increase in extreme weather events is the result of global climate change.
7. Nuclear energy will solve global energy problems
8. Clean coal will solve our energy problems


Great Debates






Educational goals

1. understand the anthropogenic causes for climate change.
2. realize that solutions are not simple and often lead to more environmental problems than they resolve.
3. realize that "climate change biology" is not really biology per se as it involves making value judgements.
4. learn to use a variety of informational outlets including published literature but also government reports, media outlets, etc.
5. come to understand that in resolving climate change issues no one view is going to prevail - compromise is required.
6. success at debate only comes from thoroughly knowing both sides of the argument.



last revised 01/07/20