UGA Bulletin

Course Description

This course builds on foundational ecological principles (organism, population, community, ecosystem) to engage students with real-world sustainability challenges, emphasizing how humans use and manage resources at local and global scales. It applies key ecological concepts to critical environmental issues, including population growth, climate change, water resources, and energy.

Athena Title

Ecological Basis Environ Issue

Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in ECOL 1000, ECOL 1000H

Non-Traditional Format

This course will be taught 95% or more online. Three PowerPoint lectures, multiple videos, open-source resources, and several assigned readings (which address current and ongoing environmental and ecological issues and concerns) will be the basis of weekly thematic learning modules. These will be posted on eLC. These lectures will have clearly stated learning objectives and review questions to aid in student learning. Students will interact within assigned sub-groups to reflect on assigned readings and will be required to compose brief personalized write-ups on select lectures and readings. These writings will be posted on a discussion board within eLC to allow students to share their thoughts and opinions with other students (likely with differing backgrounds and biases) in the class. Grading will be based on a combination of 1) these interactive student driven discussions and write-ups; 2) online quizzes and written responses based on readings and short videos; 3) an outside environmental investigation based on a student-chosen research topic; and 4) a written response to a current environmentally-themed book.

Semester Course Offered

Offered summer semester every year.

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will understand the scientific process, and describe how scientists reach consensus, and how our understanding of the natural world changes over time.
Students will define and understand basic ecological principles at different levels of complexity, including organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems, and gain an understanding of the range of ecosystem services provided by the natural world.
Students will describe the complexity and interconnectedness of natural systems, and how the natural world simultaneously is impacted and supports humans.
Students will discuss historical drivers of the earth’s climate and gain an understanding of how the current climate is affected by natural processes and on-going anthropogenic change.
Students will understand how data are presented and interpreted, such as through maps, graphs and tables, and use these data to predict ecological, economic, and social outcomes relevant to human well-being.

Topical Outline

Introduction: Sustainability and complex problem solving
Population growth and demographic transitions
Ecological principles of energy flow (e.g., photosynthesis), trophic interactions, succession and disturbance
Biodiversity including evolution, ecosystem services, species invasions, infectious diseases, extinction and conservation
Natural resource use and sustainability, including forests, freshwater, agriculture and fisheries
Energy including non-renewable and renewable energy
The Earth’s climate and climate change: causes and consequences
Environmental issues and concerns including water scarcity, pesticide use, pollution, infectious diseases, and resource extraction
The interactions among ecological, economic, and social spheres that lead to decision making
Environmental justice, ethics, and policy

General Education Core

CORE II: Life Sciences

Institutional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.

Social Awareness & Responsibility

The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.

Syllabus

publish

Ecological Basis of Environmental Issues