BI 132 Environmental Science 2

1. Evaluate climate change and its potential impacts on natural resources.
2. Evaluate local, regional and global environmental topics related to agriculture and soils.
3. Evaluate the local, regional and global status and management of wildlife and fisheries resources.
4. Describe the nature of forest resources and associated environmental issues.
5. Describe threats to global biodiversity, implications and potential solutions.
6. Describe the distribution of water supplies and associated environmental issues.  
7. Describe the distribution of carbon-based and alternative energy resources and evaluate the possibility of a future lived solely with alternative energy.
8. Measure environmental variables and interpret results.
9. Propose ecosystem-based solutions to environmental problems related to natural resource use and management.

Additional General Education Outcomes

1. Analyze the development, scope, and limitations of fundamental scientific concepts, models, theories, and methods.

2. Engage students in problem-solving and investigation, through the application of scientific and mathematical methods and concepts, and by using evidence to create and test models and draw conclusions. The goal should be to develop analytical thinking that includes evaluation, synthesis, and creative insight.

3. Examine relationships with other subject areas, including the ethical application of science in human society and the relevance of science to everyday life.

• Human Impacts on Ecosystems 
  • Methods of evaluation 
  • Analysis of paired remote sensing images illustrating human impacts over time 
  • Implications of large-scale human impacts 
• Global Climate Change 
  • Climate vs. weather 
  • Lines of evidence - direct measurement vs. natural archives of climate 
  • Student analysis of tree rings as indicators of climate change - measurement, data summary and presentation using spreadsheet software, interpretation of graphs and application of results 
  • Global climate models and their use to predict future conditions 
  • Ecosystem-level impacts 
  • Evaluation of proposals to slow or reverse climate change and their economic and societal effects 
• Food Resources 
  • World food production 
  • Food-related challenges in more-developed and less-developed nations 
  • Evaluation of the potential health and environmental impacts of the production and consumption of genetically modified foods 
  • Impacts of agriculture on natural ecosystems 
  • Aquaculture 
  • Impacts of climate change on agriculture 
  • Elements of sustainable agriculture including local examples 
• Soil Resources 
  • Physical and biological composition of soils 
  • Laboratory analysis of the physical (e.g., texture, nutrient level, pH) and biological (e.g., organic content, soil invertebrates) characteristics of soils 
  • Comparison of soils from local sites representing different locations, soil types and land uses 
  • Soil surveys as a source of soils information 
  • Identification of appropriate land uses based on student-collected soils data and soil surveys 
  • Process of soil formation 
  • Soil-related environmental issues - erosion, nutrient loss, water contamination 
  • Impacts of climate change on soil resources 
• Water Resources 
• Water supply and distribution 
• Impact of climate change on water resources 
  • C.        Environmental problems associated with water supplies  
  • D.        Water management - flood control, municipal water supplies, wetland        
• Wildlife Resources 
  • Measures of biodiversity 
  • Causes and consequences of biodiversity loss 
  • Conservation biology - ecosystem-based approaches to wildlife management 
  • Endangered species issues including ethical considerations related to species protection 
  • Impact of climate change on wildlife resources 
  • Case study of an endangered species (e.g., California condor, Gray wolf) including historical context, causes for decline, management strategies and social impact 
• Fisheries Resources 
  • The ecological and economic importance of fisheries resources 
  • Status and causes for decline 
  • Community and ecosystem impacts of fishery declines 
  • Traditional and ecosystem-based fishery management approaches 
  • Case study of Atlantic cod - historical and economic significance, status and management 
  • Impact of climate change on fisheries 
  • Student research and group presentation on one aspect of the Pacific salmon issue 
  • Evaluation of the sustainability of locally-marketed seafood using vendors and web-based resources as sources of information 
• Forest Resources 
  • Tropical rainforests vs. temperate forests 
  • Commodities and values - economic and non-economic (“ecosystem services”) 
  • Global deforestation - Distribution, causes and consequences 
  • Old growth forest ecology and management   
  • Impact of climate change on Forest Resources 
  • Analysis of spotted owl population data and population growth models 
  • Field-based experiment that evaluates forest growth and development - includes data collection, summary and analysis 
• Energy Resources 
  • The uneven distribution of carbon-based energy resources (coal, oil, and gas) 
  • The uneven distribution of alternative energy resources 
  • Creating a sustainable energy future 
• Laboratories 
  • Measuring climate change through dendrochronology and human impacts on natural ecosystems 
  • Making industrial agriculture more sustainable-Lessons from the organic movement and Genetically Modified Foods 
  • Physical and Biological Characteristics of Soils  
  • Water resource management 
  • Measuring Biodiversity 
  • Forest Regeneration - Seedling Mortality and Forest Development (field trip) 
  • Forest Regeneration - Seedling Mortality and Forest Development (data analysis) 
  • Wildlife management Student Presentations 1 
  • Wildlife management Student Presentations 2 
  • Evaluating alternative energy sources as a mechanism to slow climate change