1. Learning Outcome: Define central ecological concepts within the landscape 
planning context: environment, biomes, energy exchange, ecosystems, connectivity, 
and biodiversity.

Measurement: Discussion, exams

2. Learning Outcome: Recognize how disturbance processes shape the structure of 
natural ecosystems and the challenges that disturbance regimes pose for urban and 
regional planning.

Measurement: Discussion, exams, field exercises

3. Learning Outcome: Describe the processes in which land use relates to 
environmental health and biotic diversity and the central role of land use 
planning in the protection of these societal values.

Measurement: Discussion, exams, essay

4. Learning Outcome: Develop a working definition and philosophy of sustainability 
that integrates multiple perspectives at local, regional, and global scales.

Measurement: Discussion, exams, essay

5. Learning Outcome: Recognize and evaluate ecological concepts and landscape 
theory in designs, policies, and plans that better maintain environmental integrity 
at a variety of scales, from single sites to watersheds and regions.

Measurement: Discussion, exams, field exercises, essay

6. Learning Outcome: Develop a sense of our responsibility, as citizens and as 
professionals, for preserving biotic diversity.

Measurement: Discussion, essay

7. Learning Outcome: Understand the impact of resource consumption on future 
generations and develop a sense of our responsibility to act as stewards of 
natural and social resources.

Measurement: Discussion, exams, essay

Knowledge:
An understanding of central ecological concepts: environment, biomes, energy
exchange, ecosystems, and ecotopes.
An understanding of processes of disturbance and recovery in ecosystems.
An understanding of the relationship of land use and land use planning to
environmental health and protection of biotic diversity.
The concept of sustainability, with local, regional, and global implications.

Skills:
Be able to apply ecological concepts in the establishments of policies and plans
which will preserve environmental integrity at a variety of scales, from single 
sites to watersheds and regions.

Values:
A sense of our responsibility, as citizens and as professionals, for preserving
biotic diversity.
A sense of our responsibility to future generations in terms of resource use.

Weeks 1-16

Foundation Concepts: environments, system, and hierarchy

Considering the University of Georgia as an ecological system- Ecological units:
agriculture, suburban, urban, natural

Gaia concept as a premise for decisions on how to integrate human needs with those 
of nature
The biosphere, global dynamics, human influence on global dynamics
Biosphere subsystems

Concept of the biome or ecoregions
Concept of the landscape and the watershed
Concept of the ecosystsem and ecotope

Food chains, food webs, species diversity
Primary production, organic decomposistion
Soil structure and function

Structure of a pond and stream ecosystem
Ecological succession
Population growth

Community interactions, communitiy assembly rules
Island biogeography and its relationship to land planning
Concept of the niche

Patches, corridors, and connectivity
Spatial scales for planning and restoration: macro, meso, and micro
Consequences of habitat fragmentation

Disturbance and recovery: vegetation
Disturbance and recovery: biodiversity
Land conservation

Land classification for land use planning
Land qualities and land limitations
Environmental impact statements

Agricultural landscapes
Urban areas as cultural ecosystems
Wetlands

Concept of sustainability

Economics of sustainability: ecology and real estate

Politics of sustainability: local, regional, and global considerations

Project presentations