Prairie Ecosystems: Lessons of Sustainability Past, Present, and Future
Course Number: BIOS 13113
Quarter and Year: Spring 2007
Course offered Annually or Biannually. To Be Determined.
Prerequisites: a warm coat and the ability to walk 5 miles.
Cross-listings: not official but advertised to Geosciences, Environmental Studies, Big Problems
Lecture Days and Time: T Th 9-10:30am
Lab Days and Time: Odd Sat excursions, Even Sat self guided local trips
Discussion Days and Time: Open and through chalk.
Course Description: We look at the Midwest Prairie as a model ecosystem. How and when did grasslands evolve? And where and when did they become established? How many species and biotrophic levels are interconnected in a regularly disturbed environment? Are there keystone species? What are the ecological forces maintaining, destroying, and restoring balance? Glacial retreat, fire, deep rooted perennial grasses, large herbivores, deforestation, industrial agriculture, biofuels will be covered. What is the economic value of native prairies? Does such a quantification aid conservation plans? Are cities a drain on surrounding wilderness or could they support it? How will a large human population live equitably with Earth’s finite resources? We apply what we have we learned from the grasslands to live sustainably.
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