Download Global Change Biology - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

BIOL/ESC 4999 & BIOL 5010 – Global Change Biology
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Instructor
Dr. Jennifer Boyd
317H Holt Hall
425-5638
[email protected]
Prerequisites
BIOL 1110/1120 or ESC 1500/1510
At least one previous BIOL or ESC course at the 4000-level
Readings
There is no required text for this course, simply because an up-to-date textbook in this fastchanging field does not exist. However, you will be doing a lot of reading! Required weekly
readings will consist of primarily of scientific reports, review papers, and research articles.
Readings will be posted at least one week in advance of when they are used in class in an
electronic Course Reserves linked from the class Blackboard site.
Course Description
Global change biology is the study of interactions between organisms and environmental
changes. It may be considered a sub-discipline of ecology, which is more basically the study of
interactions between organisms and their environment. Such interactions work both ways,
meaning that the environment influences organisms and that organisms influence their
environment. Understanding such interactions currently is very important given the increasing
role of human activities in producing unprecedented environmental changes. Although we will
focus primarily on global climate change in particular, this course will also cover other aspects of
global environmental change, including habitat destruction and natural resource depletion.
During class, we will focus on how the biological communities of a variety of the earth’s biomes
and ecosystems have changed with environmental change from an historical perspective and how
they are projected to change in the future. We also will investigate the use of various proxies to
learn about the earth’s environmental and biological past and discuss various models that are
being used to predict the earth’s environmental and biological future.
Objectives
 To learn basic ecological concepts
 To become familiar with the earth’s past environment and biology
 To understand future global change projections and their potential biological impact
 To examine the responses of specific biomes and ecosystems to environmental change
 To gain experience reading scientific literature
 To think critically about the various ways that scientists study global change biology
 To think in a creative yet educated way about how we should address ecological concerns
linked to global change
Grades
Your grade will be based on the points you earn on exams, a final paper, assignments, a
presentation, and class participation as outlined below. Grades will be assigned using the
standard letter scale. No extra credit will be awarded.
3 Regular Exams (100 points each)
Final Exam (150 points)
Final Research Paper (100 points)
3 Short Assignments (20 points each)
Paper Presentation (20 points)
Attendance/Participation (20 points)
~45%
~25%
~15%
~9%
~3%
~3%
Lecture Format
During lectures, I will present background (i.e. textbook-type) information on class topics based
on your reading assignments. We will also discuss recent articles based on each topic. This is an
upper-level class, and you are expected to not simply read the assigned readings, but to take
notes on them and list questions that you have while reading them, so that you may actively
participate in related class discussions.
Exams
All lecture exams will consist of multiple choice, definitions, and essay questions based on
lectures, readings, and related lecture materials. Different exams will be given to undergraduate
and graduate students, reflecting my different expectations of these groups. In general, graduate
students will be expected to use information learned in class to respond to questions that may not
have been presented directly in class. The final exam will be cumulative and based on the three
regular exams.
Assignments
Short (1-2 pages) written assignments will be given three times during the semester.
Assignments will be due on paper at the beginning of class on the date specified when they are
given. No late assignments will be accepted.
Research Paper
A final research paper (5-10 pages) on an approved topic of your choice will be due on paper on
the last day of our regular class meetings. A list of pre-approved topics will be distributed during
the few first weeks of class. You may choose your topic from this list, or propose a new topic for
my approval. Your research paper should provide a synthesis of primary literature on your topic
in the style of a scientific review paper. There will be different requirements (i.e. number of
sources, inclusion of novel insights) given for undergraduate and graduate students in writing the
research paper, reflecting my different expectations of these groups.
Presentation
Each student will be responsible for presenting and leading a class discussion of a scientific
article relevant to the field of Global Change Biology. Undergraduates will give presentations as
members of a small group, while graduate students will present papers as individuals.
Presentations should include a brief (10-15 minutes) slideshow that presents the paper and
necessary background in a general way. The presenter(s) should then lead discussion of the paper
by coming in with three discussion questions for the class related to the paper.
Participation
Throughout the semester, you are expected to attend and actively participate in class. Regular
attendance is essential. Global change biology is not an introductory or matter-of-fact discipline
full of material that can be easily memorized. Instead, you will be expected to work hard in
developing understanding of the concepts presented during class. If you miss class for any
reason, you are responsible for learning about any missed material from other students in class. I
will not provide you with my lecture notes, since you are not likely to understand my ‘short
hand’ anyway. I also will not re-lecture material solely for your benefit except for extenuating
circumstances that prevent you from attending class. Make-up exams will be permitted only for
legitimate absences that are explained by a note from your doctor, dean or athletic director. If
you know ahead of time that you will miss an exam or quiz (such as if you are on an athletic
team), you must let me know before your absence so that we can arrange an alternative time.
Late assignments will not be accepted except due to the legitimate absences previously
described. If you know ahead of time that you will not be in class on the date that an assignment
is due, you are still responsible for getting the assignment to me on paper by that date.
Conduct
As a student at UTC, you agree to abide by the University’s Honor Code during this course.
Plagiarism constitutes intellectual theft and is in violation of the UTC Honor Code. You are
expected to be familiar with the UTC Honor Code and should refer to your Student Handbook
for information regarding it if you are not.
Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.)
and think that you might need special assistance or a special accommodation in this class or any
other class, call the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 425-4006 or come by the office, 102
Frist Hall.
Difficulties
If you find that personal problems, career indecision, or study and time management difficulties
are adversely affecting your successful progress in this course and/or others at UTC, please
contact the Counseling and Career Planning Center at 425-4438 or visit the center in 338
University Center.
Topic Schedule
Course Introduction
Our Current Climate System
Ruddiman 2001, pp 1-30
Biosphere Interactions with Climate
Ruddiman 2001, pp 30-36
Climate & Life across Geologic Time
Climate Proxies: Ice Cores & Forams
Petit et al. 1999, Zachos et al. 2001
Holocene Climate & Life
Climate Proxies: Pollen & Tree Rings
Jacoby & D’Arrigo 1989, Kneller & Peteet 1999
Future Climate Projections
IPCC 2007, Ch.1-2
Causes of Climate Change
IPCC 2007, Ch. 3
Major Biomes of the World
Arctic Tundra
Hinzman et al. 2005
Feedbacks & Physiology
Chapin & Shaver 1996, Sturm & Douglas 2005
Boreal Forests
Lloyd & Bunn 2007
Breeding & Migration
Lafleur et al. 2010, Waite & Strickland 2006
Temperate Forests
Iverson et al. 2004
Associated Communities
Mulholland et al. 2009
Deserts
Lioubimtseva & Adams 2004
Phenology
Kimball et al. 2010, Nagel et al. 2004
Grasslands
Clark et al. 2001
Productivity & Function
Craine et al. 2011, Wand et al. 1999
Tropical Forests
Stork et al. 2007
Degradation & Deforestation
Malhi et al. 2009, Williams & Middleton 2008
Coral Reefs
De’ath et al. 2009
Fish & Invertebrates (Presentations)
Przeslawski et al. 2008, Wilson et al. 2008
Reading List
Chapin FS III, Shaver GR (1996) Physiological and growth responses of Arctic plants to a field
experiment simulating climatic change. Ecology 77: 822-840.
Clark JS, Grimm EC, Lynch J, Mueller PG (2001) Effects of Holocene climate change on the
grassland/woodland boundary in the northern plains, USA. Ecology 82: 620-636.
Craine JM, Nippert JB, Towne EG, Tucker S, Kembel SW, Skibbe A, McLauchlan KK (2011)
Functional consequences of climate change-induced plant species loss in a tallgrass
prairie. Oecologia 165: 1109-1117.
De’ath G, Lough JM, Fabricius KE (2009) Declining coral calcification on the Great Barrier
Reef. Science 323: 116-119.
Hinzman KL, Bettez ND, Bolton WR, Chapin FS, Dyurgerov MB, Fastie CL, Griffith B,
Hollister RD, Hope A, Huntington HP, Jensen AM, Jia GJ, Horgenson T, Kane DL,
Klein DR, Korinas G, Lynch AH, Lloyd AH, McGuire AD, Nelson FE, Oechel WC,
Osterkamp TE, Racine CH, Romanovsky VE, Stone RS, Stow DA, Sturm M, Tweedie
CE, Vourlitis GL, Walker MD, Walker DA, Webber PJ, Welker JM, Winker KS,
Yoshikawa K (2005) Evidence and implications of recent climate change in northern
Alaska and other Arctic regions. Climatic Change 72: 251-298.
IPCC (2007) Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on climate change. Geneva, Switzerland, pp 104.
Iverson KR, Schwartz MW, Prasad AM (2004) How fast and far might tree species migrate in
the eastern United States due to climate change? Global Ecology and Biogeography 13:
209-219.
Jacoby GC, D’Arrigo R (1989) Reconstructed northern hemisphere annual temperature since
1671 based on high-latitude tree-ring data from North America. Climatic Change 14: 3959.
Kimball S, Angert AL, Huxman TE, Venable DW (2010) Contemporary climate change in the
Sonoran Desert favors cold-adapted species. Global Change Biology 16: 1555-1565.
Kneller M, Peteet D (1999) Late-glacial to early Holocene climate changes from a central
Appalachian pollen and macrofossil record. Quaternary Research 51: 133-147.
Lefleur B, Paré D, Munson AD, Bergeron Y (2010) Response of northeastern North American
forests to climate change: will soil conditions constrain tree species migration?
Environmental Reviews 18: 279-289.
Lioubimtseva E, Adams JM (2004) Possible implications of increased carbon dioxide levels and
climate change for desert ecosystems. Environmental Management 33: S388-S404.
Lloyd AH, Bunn AG (2007) Responses of the circumpolar boreal forest to 20th century climate
variability. Environmental Research Letters 2: 1-13.
Malhi Y, Aragão LEOC, Galbraith D, Huntingford C, Fisher R, Zelazowski P, Sitch S,
McSweeney C, Meir P (2009) Exploring the likelihood and mechanism of a climatechange-induced dieback of the Amazon rainforest. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences 106: 20610-20615.
Mulholland PJ, Roberts BJ, Hill WR, Smith JG (2009) Stream ecosystem responses to the 2007
spring freeze in the southeastern United States: unexpected effects of climatic change.
Global Change Biology 15: 1767-1776.
Myneni RB, Keeling CD, Tucker CJ, Asrar G, Nemani RR (1997) Increased plant growth in the
northern high latitudes from 1981 to 1991. Nature 386: 698-702.
Nagel JM, Huxman TE, Griffin KL, Smith SD (2004) CO2 enrichment reduces the energetic cost
of biomass construction in an invasive desert grass. Ecology 85: 100-106.
Petit JR, Jouzel J, Raynaud D, Barkov NI, Barnola J-M, Basile I, bender M, Chappellaz J, Davis
M, Delaygue G, Delmotte M, Kotlyakov VM, Legrand M, Lipendov VY, Lorius C, Pépin
L, Ritz C, Saltzman E, Stievenard M (1999) Climate and atmospheric history of the past
420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica. Nature 399: 429-436.
Przeslawski R, Ahyong S, Byrne M, Wörheideş, Hutchings P (2008) Beyond corals and fish: the
effects of climate change on noncoral benthic invertebrates of tropical reefs. Global
Change Biology 14: 2773-2795.
Ruddiman W (2001) Earth’s Climate System Today. In Earth’s Climate: Past and Future, 1st
Edition. WH Freeman and Co., NY.
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/ruddiman2e/content/cat_010/EarthsClimate_Web_Chapter.pdf
Stork NE, Balston J, Farquhar GD, Franks PJ, Holtum JAM, Liddell MJ (2007) Tropical
rainforest canopies and climate change. Austral Ecology 32: 105-112.
Sturm M, Douglas T (2005) Changing snow and shrub conditions affect albedo with global
implications. Journal of Geophysical Research 110.
Waite TA, Strickland D (2006) Climate change and the demographic demise of a hoarding bird
living on the edge. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 273: 2809-2813.
Wand SJE, Midgley GF, Jones MH, Curtis PS (1999) Responses of wild C4 and C3 grass
(Poaceae) species to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration: a meta-analytic test of
current theories and perceptions. Global Change Biology 5: 723-741.
White PB, Van de Gevel SK, Grissino-Mayer HD, Laforest LB, DeWeese GG (2011) Climatic
response of oak species across an environmental gradient in the southern Appalachian
Mountains, USA. Tree-ring Research 67: 27-37.
Williams SE, Middleton J (2008) Climatic seasonality, resource bottlenecks, and abundance of
rainforest birds: implications for global climate change. Diversity and Distributions 14:
69-77.
Willis CG, Ruhfel B, Primack RB, Miller-Rushing AJ, Davis CC (2008) Phylogenetic patterns of
species loss in Thoreau’s woods are driven by climate change. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences 105: 17029-17033.
Wilson SK, Fisher R, Pratchett MS, Graham NAJ, Dulvy NK, Turner RA, Cakacakaş A, Polunin
VC, Rushton SP (2008) Exploitation and habitat degradation as agents of change within
coral reef fish communities. Global Change Biology 14: 2796-2809.
Zachos J, Pagani M, Sloan L, Thomas E, Billups K (2001) Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in
global climate 65 Ma to present. Science 292: 686-693.