Students will read the latest U.N. and U.S. climate change reports, journal papers, and other literature as the basis for discussing the following three major global climate change issues: impacts on current-near future societies, impacts on biodiversity, and impacts of climate thresholds or tipping points. In addition to the focus on ecology, we will invite outside speakers to provide economic and environmental equity perspectives.
Athena Title
Ecology of Climate Change
Pre or Corequisite
(BIOL 1104 or BIOL 2104H or PBIO 1220 or BIOL 1108 or BIOL 2108H or CHEM 1211-1211D or PHYS 1111-1111L or PHYS 1211-1211L or GEOL 1121 or GEOL 1121E or GEOL 1121H or permission of department) and permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will be able to understand and discuss the causes and consequences of global climate change.
Students will be able to evaluate the relative contributions of physical, biological, and social factors that influence global climate change.
Students will be able to explain principles of climate change science, ecological climate feedbacks, climate change impacts on ecology and society, and assess "solutions" societies can choose to reduce greenhouse gas emissions causing current climate change.
Students will be able to critically assess literature on climate science.
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to rigorously analyze scientific literature on climate policy and politics nationally and internationally.
Students will be able to understand potential climate feedbacks among ecological systems based on physical and biological science interactions with climate.
Students will be able to apply the framework of climate solutions from the IPCC, U.S. National Climate Assessment, and Project Drawdown to assess potential actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Students will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of particular climate solutions and articulate these in writing and in verbal presentations.
Topical Outline
I. Basics of Anthropogenic Climate Change
a) Overview of Earth System science factors impacting our climate including
i. Earth’s atmosphere & greenhouse gas impacts
ii. Orbital geometry
b) Physical science of heat balance (water, soils, land)
II. Earth System Feedbacks to the Climate
a) Biological-physical science of ecosystem influences on climate (photosynthesis, transpiration)
III. Regional Impacts of Climate Change
a) Globally
b) Nationally
IV. Drawdown Georgia and global Project Drawdown Solutions
a) Drawdown Georgia
b) Project Drawdown
V. Potential for crossing climate thresholds triggered by current and potential future human decisions and actions
a) Melt of Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets
b) Permafrost Melt & Tundra Loss
c) North Atlantic Deepwater Formation
d) Dieback of Amazon Rainforest
