Course Description
Biogeography and ecology of the world's main terrestrial biomes. Includes world bioclimatic zonation, plant-geographic processes, other physical environmental factors, plant functional roles and types, vegetation dynamics, response to disturbance, and potential natural vegetation. Emphasis on global scale, with secondary emphasis on North America.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional readings, assignments, and questions on tests.
Athena Title
Plant Geography
Prerequisite
GEOG 3210 or ECOL(BIOL) 3500-3500L or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Successful completion of this course will provide the following learning outcomes: - Basic understanding of global atmospheric circulation, the world's main climate types, and why they occur where they do, as a geographic framework for understanding life processes - Familiarity with the main natural vegetation and landscape types of the world's land areas, where they occur on each continent, how they have developed, and how they are constrained by physical and biological factors - Familiarity with the main plant types of terrestrial environments, where they occur, and how they are adapted to environmental conditions, both physical and biotic - Awareness of the dynamic nature of natural and man-altered landscapes and ecosystems, how they recover from disturbance, how they have changed in the past, and how they may change as a result of global environmental change - Appreciation of the importance of science in everyday life and its crucial role in informed decision making This course meets the following General Education Abilities, by accomplishing the specific learning objectives listed below: Communicate effectively through writing. This is met by a series of writing assignments associated with supplemental reading and data analysis. Computer Literacy is addressed through course administration, student-faculty electronic interaction, and data analysis activities and assignments. Critical Thinking is central to the learning objectives of this class, and are developed through homework assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and inquiry- based learning efforts.
Topical Outline
Environmental Factors: climate, soil, nutrients, disturbance; global zonation Historical Aspects: earth's physical and biological history; development of regional floras Plant processes, characters and types; vegetation structure, biomes, potential natural vegetation Tropical and Subtropical Biomes 1. Tropical Forests: rainforests, wet/dry forests, tropical mountains 2. Tropical Savannas and Wet-Dry Woodlands 3. Deserts and Semi-Deserts Temperate and High-Latitude Biomes 4. Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands 5. Grasslands (temperate) 6. Temperate Forests: summergreen (with more detail on N American paleovegetation, etc.); evergreen broad-leaved forests, temperate rainforests 7. Coniferous Forests: boreal forest, continental montane forests, Pacific rainforest 8. Tundra and Alpine Vegetation