2018-2019 University Catalogue 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 University Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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
Formerly: BIOL 329


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