121-172 Global Ecology and Biodiversity

Formerly available as 121-013. Students who have completed 121-013 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

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 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 and biodiversity.

• possess the following Generic Skills: thinking critically (for example, about development projects, social concepts);

• be capable of obtaining information to evaluate propositions (about urban planning and economic geography);

• be capable of writing coherent and researched essays;

• be capable of working in teams (to identify answers to practical problems);

• be capable of applying knowledge (about given examples) to new cases.

Weekly practical exercises totalling 2000 words 50% and a 2-hour examination 50% (in the examination period).