121-172 Global Ecology and Biogeography

Formerly available as 121-013. Students who have completed 121-013 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. Formerly available as 121-172. Students who have completed 121-172 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. Students who have taken 121-174 Ecology for Engineers cannot receive credit for this subject due to overlap in subject content.

This subject serves as an introduction to the disciplines of physical geography and environmental studies, concentrating on the nature of global patterns of species diversity and biogeographic realms. Students will encounter issues such as distribution, properties and functioning of the world's major biomes; soil forming processes and the distribution of soils on a global basis; the nature and scale of human impacts; and the restoration and preservation of ecosystems. On completion of the subject students should be familiar with basic ecological concepts and issues in contemporary biogeography on a global scale; be able to identify how environmental variables influence the world's major landscapes; be able to apply basic methods in biogeography; and have an understanding of the extent of human impacts on biomes.

Weekly practical exercises totalling 2000 words, and a 2-hour examination.