BIOL 359 - Ecosystem Ecology

Ecosystem ecology is the study of both the organisms (biotic) and the environment (abiotic) as an integrated system and the processes that link them: energy transformations and biogeochemical cycling. Emphasizing plant systems, the course introduces students to fundamental ecosystem processes such as primary productivity, decomposition, nutrient cycling, plant-soil interactions, and energy balance. Students also study the major element cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) and how these vary among ecosystems as different as the arctic tundra and tropical rainforest. An important theme of the course is the relationship between ecosystem processes and pressing global environmental issues such as global warming, biodiversity loss, and rising carbon dioxide levels.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: BIOL 359L
Prerequisites: BIOL 201 or BIOL 202 or BIOL 203 or BIOL 204 or BIOL 205 or BIOL 206
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No First-year
Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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