BIODIVERSITY AND GLOBAL CHANGE

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: ( BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 101 , BOTANY/BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 151 , BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 , ZOOLOGY 153 , BIOCORE 381 , GEOSCI/ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 102 , ILS/ENVIR ST 126 , GEOG/ENVIR ST 120 , 127 , or 139 ) and ( MATH 112 , 114 , 171, or placement into MATH 221 ) or grad/prof standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness + Lab Breadth - Biological Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify key aspects of climate change and other human-driven environmental changes across the globe in the Anthropocene Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Evaluate the impacts of these changes on biological systems across scales of organization, including individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Explain the importance of feedbacks, interactions, non-linear responses, and irreversible changes in driving ecosystem responses to global change Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Compare and contrast the values and services provided by biological diversity Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Evaluate the role of biodiversity in mitigating or exacerbating the impacts of global environmental change, and in supporting human health and wellbeing Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Critically interpret data and results from primary literature and apply this interpretation to supporting scientific arguments Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Synthesize and critically evaluate scientific claims and hypotheses in global change biology using quantitative data analysis Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify key aspects of climate change and other human-driven environmental changes across the globe in the Anthropocene Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Evaluate the impacts of these changes on biological systems across scales of organization, including individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Explain the importance of feedbacks, interactions, non-linear responses, and irreversible changes in driving ecosystem responses to global change Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Compare and contrast the values and services provided by biological diversity Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Evaluate the role of biodiversity in mitigating or exacerbating the impacts of global environmental change, and in supporting human health and wellbeing Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Critically interpret data and results from primary literature and apply this interpretation to supporting scientific arguments Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Synthesize and critically evaluate scientific claims and hypotheses in global change biology using quantitative data analysis Audience: Graduate