Environmental Biology Course
ECOL 206, spring 2005, University of Arizona
Kevin Bonine, Ph.D., Alona Bachi, TA, Matthew Herron, TA

WEEK 1

12 Jan

Lect. 1 Introductions and Syllabus

SE1

Ishmael (19 copies on reserve in UA library)

14 Jan

Lect. 2 What is Environmental Science?

SE1, begin SE2, KN preface

WEEK 2

17 Jan MLK HOLIDAY (no class)

continue reading Ishmael

Lect. 3 Natural Resources, Sustainability, Matter, Energy, Ecosystems

SE2, KN1

Lect. 4 Ecology's Base (Matter, Energy, Hierarchy), Biogeochemical Cycles

SE2

WEEK 3

24 Jan

Lect. 5 Ecology and Ecosystems

SE2, SE4

Leopold, Aldo. 1949. Thinking like a mountain, Aldo Leopold. p. 137-141 In: A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press, Ballantine Books, NY.

Lect. 6 Ecosystems and Species

SE4, SE3

Lect. 7 Biological Invasions

SE4

K. Gerst, guest

WEEK 4

31 Jan

Lect. 8 Biomes and Habitats (Water vs. Land)

SE3

02 Feb

Lect. 9 Life on Earth

SE4

Dillard, Annie. 1974. Fecundity. Ch. 10 In: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard. HarperCollins, NY.

04 Feb

Lect. 10 (white x 6 [saves ink and paper] or blue x 2) Extinction and Biodiversity

Costanza et al. 1997. Valuing Ecosystem Services, Nature

SE3

C. Price, guest

WEEK 5

07 Feb

Lect. 11 Evolution, Natural Selection, and Adaptation

SE3

Quammen, David. 1985. Is sex necessary? p. 169-174 In: Natural Acts, David Quammen. Nick Lyons Books, NY.

Optional: Ernst Mayr Interview in Campbell 1993

09 Feb

Lect. 12 Urbanization and desert tortoises

SE5

T. Edwards, guest

11 Feb

Lect. 13 (or as 6 slides/page), Evolution, Natural Selection, and Adaptation

SE3

M. Herron, guest

WEEK 6

14 Feb

Lect. 14 (or as 6 slides/page),Evolution, Natural Selection, and Adaptation

SE3

16 Feb

2005 KEY EXAM 1
EXAM 1 from 2003
EXAM 1 from 2004
EXAM 1 Study Guide 2005

18 Feb

Lect. 16 Human Population and Urbanization, Energy and Consumption

SE5and10, KN2and3

Optional: Stoel, Thomas Jr. 1999. Reining in urban sprawl. Environment 41(4):6-11,29-33.

Also optional: KN4, Kates, Robert. 2000. Population and consumption: what we know, what we need to know. Environment 42(3):10-19.

WEEK 7

21 Feb

Lect. 17, Energy and Consumption, Energy Sources

SE10

Ecological Footprint (Take yours here)
(Optional, more detailed footprint).

23 Feb

Lect. 18 Ecological Crises

SE6, KN5

A. Bachi, guest

Lect. 19 Habitat Loss, Deforestation

SE6,7

WEEK 8

28 Feb

Lect. 20 Conservation (Treaties, Laws)

SE7

SDCP overview
Feel free to also browse the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan Website

02 Mar

Lect. 21 (or as 6 slides/page) Conservation Biology (Species approach)

SE7

A. Bachi, guest

04 Mar

Lect. 22 (or as 6 slides/page ) Biosphere Reserves

SE6

Replace: Batisse, Michel. 1997. Biosphere reserves: a challenge for biodiversity conservation & regional development. Environment. 39(5):7-15, 31-33.
with: UNESCO biosphere brochure and optional in-depth discussion of ecosystem approach

WEEK 9

07 Mar

Lect. 23 (or as 6 slides/page) Approaches to Conservation Biology, Conservation Issues

SE6n7

Lect. 24

SE6n7

12-20 Mar SPRING BREAK

WEEK 10

Lect. 26 Soils and Food, NGOs, sustainable agriculture

SE8

Levidow, Les. 1999. Regulating Bt maize in the United States and Europe. Environment 41(10):10-22.

Rifkin, Jeremy. 1992. Ecological colonialism Ch. 27 In: Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture, Jeremy Rifkin. Plume, Penguin Books, NY.

Lect. 27 (or as 6 slides/page) National Parks and Conservation Issues

SE6

D. Swann, guest

Lect. 28: Silent Spring, Our Stolen Future, Risks, Toxicology, Human Health; Pesticides and pseudoestrogens

SE8,11

Gore, Al. 1994. Introduction
In: Silent Spring, Rachel Carson. 1962. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanski, and John Peterson Myers. 1997. Flying blind. CH. 14 In: Our Stolen Future, Colborn, Dumanski, and Myers. Plume, Penguin Books, NY.

WEEK 11

28 Mar

Lect. 29 Food and Risks

SE8,11

30 Mar

Lect. 30 (or as 6 slides/page) Fire Ecology

SE12

Don Falk, guest

Lect. 31: Part 1 (Pseudoestrogens), Part 2 (Global Climate Change); Global Warming and Ozone, Climate Change

SE12

Revkin, Andrew. 2003. Warming is found to disrupt species. New York Times. 02 Jan: A1,15.

van der Leun, Jan, Xiaoyan Tang, and Manfred Tevini. 1995. Environmental effects of ozone depletion: 1994 assessment, executive summary. Ambio 24(3):138-142.

WEEK 12

04 Apr

Lect. 32 (or as 6 slides/page) Air Pollution

SE12

Lect. 33 (or as 6 slides/page) Water

SE9

Lect. 34 Marine Biology and Conservation

OPTIONAL: Rajasuriya, Arjan, Ranjith De Silva, and Marcus Ohman. 1995. Coral reefs of Sri Lanka: human disturbance and management issues. Ambio 24(7-8):428-437.

K. Mangin, guest

WEEK 13

11 Apr

Lect. 35 Water

SE9

W. Matter, guest

Lect. 36 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; Alana Levine

SE13, KN6

Lect. 37 Hawaiian Conservation

R. Robichaux, guest

WEEK 14

18 Apr

Lect. 38 Susanne Hinrichs

Lect. 40 (or as 6 slides/page) Economics, Politics, Action (EARTH DAY); Environmental Justice

SE14, KN9

Abbey, Edward. 1968. Polemic: industrial tourism and the national parks. p. 45-67 In: Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness, Edward Abbey. Ballantine Books, NY.

Optional: Mohai, Paul and Bunyan Bryant. 1992. Demographic studies reveal a pattern of environmental injustice. p. 10-23 In: Race and the Incidence of Environmental Hazards, Bunyan Bryant and Paul Mohai, eds., Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

WEEK 15

25 Apr

Lect. 41 The Four Spikes

KN6,7

G. McPherson, guest

27 Apr

WEEK16+

02 May