Earth’s ecosystems are experiencing many unprecedented changes, including climate change, biodiversity declines, land use change, and habitat loss. To preserve the important services that ecosystems provide to us, we must consider how to conserve these systems, which is the purview of the Conservation Biology scientific discipline. In this course, we will explore a variety of topics important for understanding Conservation Biology, including causes and consequences of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation, metapopulation theory, and invasive species. Then we will embark into practical considerations of how to effectively conserve ecosystems in a human dominated world. Students will emerge from this class with the understanding and tools necessary to make positive change on our precious planet.
Plant Diversity BIO 422
This course is designed to develop students’ understanding of the diversity of plants that exist on Earth. Students will be exposed to plant life forms from single celled algae to the dazzling diversity of the orchid family. The course will include lecture components, which will go through all major plant groups, focusing on their life cycles, other characteristics, and how they interact with their environment. We will also focus on species from each of these groups that can be found in the Southeastern United States. Lab activities will focus on provide hands-on experience in identifying plant families and species.