Course Description
The world is becoming more and more urbanized, with over 80% of
the United States population and 50% of the world’s population
living in cities. This course will use a socio-ecological
framework to study how urbanization influences biodiversity,
ecosystem function, and the provisioning of ecosystem services
to human populations.
Athena Title
Urban Ecol Serv Learn
Pre or Corequisite
(BIOL 1108 or BIOL 1108E) and BIOL 1108L
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
- Students will understand and discuss how built environments and man-made surfaces affects physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of ecosystems.
- Students will understand and discuss the influence of human social systems on urban ecology.
- Students will learn about oneself, with regards to your current state of professional skills and knowledge, as well as your place in the social structure of Athens, GA
- Students will develop new and substantial relationships with community members, through service-learning projects.
- Students will develop the skills necessary to independently create effective educational materials, through primary literature readings, critical reflection, and study of education ‘best-practices’
Topical Outline
- Intro; UGA + Athens History and Awareness Training
- Urban Spatial Patterns & Habitat Connectedness
- Urban Climate: Air Pollution and Urban Heat Island
- Urban Water: Stormwater Management
- Urban Soils: Compaction, Aeration and Soil Microbes, Urban Plants: Species Composition and Characteristics
- Urban Invasive Plants, Urban Wildlife Species Composition and Characteristics
- Urban Invasive Wildlife, Urban Mutualisms and Competition
- Urban Species Interactions: Parasites & Pathogens, Predation & Herbivory
- Urban Energy Flows and Biogeochemistry
- Social + Ecological 1, Social + Ecological Case Study Reading
- Urban Noise Pollution: Impacts on Animal Communication, Physiology, and Behavior
- Urban Light Pollution, Wildlife Collisions with Structures & Hazards
- Urban watersheds and global issues with water infrastructure
- Mitigation Strategies: The Successes and Failures
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
