Spring 2002
(updated: 1/10/02)
NSci 1051: State
of the Planet
Instructor: Dr. Peter H. Wyckoff
Office: Science 1375
Phone: x6347
E-Mail: wyckoffp@morris.umn.edu
Web Page: http://cda.morris.umn.edu/~wyckoffp/
Class: MWF 2:15-3:20
Office hours: M 1-2; T 9-10; Th 2-3; F 1-2
Description
This course will introduce you to the planet Earth (perhaps you have met already?). We will first develop a basic understanding of how the planet works as a physical system. In doing so, we will explore some of the Earth’s biological and geological history. Next, we will examine the human impact on the physical world, with a focus on global and local areas of concern, like climate change, energy issues, and soil erosion (among others). We will finish the course with an exploration of the social and economic aspects of environmental issues.
THIS IS GOOD STUFF!! In this course you will gain the sort of knowledge you need to graduate as a good, liberally educated citizen who has witty, earnest, and informed things to say at dinner parties.
One goal for this course is a better understanding of the environmental issues impacting the community you live in—Morris, a small town in west central MN. As part of this local focus, we will visit the Morris Ethanol Plant and the Morris Wetlands Office. We will also hear from representatives of three regionally focused environmental groups, and a local expert on the impacts of agriculture on water quality.
General Education Requirements: This course fulfills the “global village, people and the environment (ENVT)” requirement.
Readings
Required Text:
Bush, Mark B. 2000. Ecology of a changing planet (2nd edition). Prentice Hall, NJ.
Readings on reserve:
1) Calvin, W. H. 1998. The great climate flip-flop. Atlantic Monthly 281 (1– January issue): 47-64.
2) Costanza , R. et al. 1997. The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387: 253-260.
3) Hardin, G. 1968. The tragedy of the commons. Science 162: 1243-1248.
4) Lomborg, B. 2001. The skeptical environmentalist. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
5) Pulliam, H. and N. Haddad. 1994. Human population growth and the carrying capacity concept. Bull. Ecol. Soc. Am. 75(3):141-157.
6) Vitousek, P. M.; Ehrlich, P. R., Ehrlich, A. H., Matson, P. A. 1986. Human appropriation of the products of photosynthesis. BioScience 36(6): 368-373.
Topics
# Date Topic Chapter in Bush
Unit 1: Understanding the Earth
1 Jan 14 Introduction: Its all about carbon
2 Jan 16 What is life made of? 1
Chemistry and Physics for Non-scientists
3 Jan 18 History of the world 2
Jan 21 No Class- Martin Luther King
Holiday
4 Jan 23 Solar energy, photosynthesis and respiration
5 Jan 25 The flow of energy through ecosystems 3
6 Jan 28 The flow of energy and matter globally: the climate 4
7 Jan 30 Distribution of biomes 5
8 Feb 1 Ecosystems, nutrient cycles and soils 6
9 Feb 4 Continued
10 Feb 6 Hydrological cycle and wetlands 7
11 Feb 8 Exam 1
12 Feb 11 Change through time 13
13 Feb 13 Ecological succession 14
Unit 2: Humans and their impact
14 Feb 15 The history of humans 16
15 Feb 18 Life is getting better
Reading: Lomborg 2001, Chapters 4 and 6
16 Feb 20 Modern human demographics
Reading: Pulliam and Haddad 1994
17 Feb 22 The Human Impact I
Reading: Vitousek et al. 1986
18 Feb 25 The Human Impact II: Pessimism
Bartlett video on exponential growth
19 Feb 27 The Human Impact III: The case for optimism
Reading: Lomborg 2001, Chapters 5, 9 and 12
20 Mar 1 Focus on agriculture 17
21 Mar 4 Agriculture and water pollution
Guest Speaker: Dr. Neil Hansen
University of MN, WCROC
22 Mar 6 More on Agriculture
Water pollution issues 18
23 Mar 8 Exam 2
Mar 11, 13 and 15—No
class—Spring Break
24 Mar 18 Impact of severe erosion illustrated
Dust bowl video
25 Mar 20 Land use change and habitat fragmentation 20
Conserving biodiversity 21
26 Mar 22 Air pollution 22
27 Mar 25 Ecological Footprint Activity
28 Mar 27 Ecological Footprint (continued)
Unit 3: Science,
society and policy
29 Mar 29 Use and supply of energy 25
Due:
Ecological Footprint Assignment
Due:
Topic for Final Essay
30 Apr 1 Focus on ethanol
31 Apr 3 Tour of Morris Ethanol Plant
32 Apr 5 Exam 3
33 Apr 8 Local Environmental Groups, part I
Guest speaker: Audrey Arner, Land Stewardship Project
34 Apr 10 Local Environmental Groups, part II
Guest speaker: Lynn Lokken, CURE
35 Apr 12 Global warming 23
Reading: Calvin 1998
36 Apr 15 Acid rain 24
37 Apr 17 Local Environmental Groups, part III
Guest Speaker: Mark Muller, IATP
38 Apr 19 Environmental policy 28
Due: Final essay
39 Apr 22 Environmental economics 27
Reading: Hardin 1968
40 Apr 24 Valuing ecosystem function
Reading: Costanza et al. 1997
41 Apr 26 Solutions to environmental problems
Free markets versus regulation?
42 Apr 29 Make-up day
43 May 1 Field trip to the Morris Wetlands Office
Guest speaker: Kenton Moos, USFWS
44 May 3 Wrap-up and review
Final Exam
Thurs, May 9, 1:30-3:30
Assignments
1. Ecological footprint exercise—You will be asked to gather data on your lifestyles: what and how much do you eat? What kind of house do you live in? What do you drive and how far? These data will be used to explore the impacts of our lifestyles using a spreadsheet model. You will turn in a short write-up discussing issues raised by the exercise.
2. Ecology in the news—Throughout the course I want you to be following ecological and environmental issues in the popular press: Time, Newsweek, The Minneapolis Star and Tribune, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, etc. I hope that this becomes a habit continued long after this course is over. To keep this course as timely as possible, we will discuss whatever relevant issues have appeared in the week’s news every Wednesday morning (beginning January 23). Over the course of the semester, you need to present a minimum of three articles during these Wednesday discussions. (If class time becomes limited, oral presentation of articles will be replaced by a written summary.)
3. Final essay—4-5 pages plus references. Topic of your choice (subject to my approval).
Grades
Attendance and participation 100
Assignments:
Ecological footprint 50
Ecology in the news 75
Final Essay 150
Assignments Subtotal 275
Exams
Hourly Exam 1 125
Hourly Exam 2 125
Hourly Exam 3 125
Hourly Exam 4 (During Final) 125
Cumulative Portion of Final 125
Exam Subtotal 625
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Total 1000 pts
At worst: A = 90-100%; B = 80-90%; C = 70-80%; D = 60-70%; F
< 60%.
I may curve up, but I will not curve down.
Grade expectations
Satisfactory work demonstrating a simple, but largely complete, grasp of the course material will receive a “C.” An “A” or a “B” requires you to demonstrate more thought and sensitivity to nuance.
Partial credit on problems and calculations will only be given if you show your work. If I explicitly ask you to show your work on a homework or exam problem, then a mere answer is not enough (even a correct answer)—you must show me how you reached your answer.
On average, this course should require 12 hours a week of work (4 credits* 3 hours a week per credit). That means that you should expect to work an average of 8 hours a week outside of class. If the work associated with this class appears to be either too light or excessive, please let me know.
Policy on incomplete grades
In accordance with University policy, incomplete grades will only be awarded under extraordinary circumstances. Normally, I will only consider awarding an incomplete in cases where illness or family emergency prevent a student from completing the last assignments in a course (end of the semester projects, final exams, etc.). You can only be eligible for an incomplete if your average on all graded, completed work is greater than an F.
Attendance policy
Lecture attendance is not mandatory, but I will take attendance and deduct 5 participation points for each unexcused absence. Tests will be based primarily on material covered in class.
Excused absences will be granted for family emergencies,
illness, varsity athletic events, and other official university functions. Written documentation for excused absences
must be submitted and can be obtained from health services or chancellor’s
office.
Late work policy
Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be turned in at the beginning of class on the day they are due (though they will not be counted as late if in by 5:00). Late assignments lose 20% of their value for each day or portion of a day they are late (not counting weekends). For example, if an assignment is due on a Friday, and you turn it in Tuesday, the assignment is 2 days late and thus only worth 60% of its original value.
Policy on Academic Honesty
I have no tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. Any paper, assignment or examination showing signs of academic dishonesty will be investigated. If I suspect dishonesty, I will notify the student that we must meet to discuss the matter. Failure to respond to a request for such a meeting will be taken as an admission of guilt. The standard penalty for dishonesty will be a grade of “0” on the assignment in question. In egregious cases, I will give an “F” for the course grade. In accordance with University policy, I will report any penalties levied to the vice chancellor for student affairs. Penalized students then have the right to appeal.
Any work submitted by a student must be written in his or her own words (i.e. you cannot simply copy or paraphrase textbooks, other written sources, or work submitted by other students). In the case of group work submitted with multiple names, I will assume that all have contributed equally. For homework and problem sets, I encourage students to work together, but that cannot mean that one student simply copies from another.
I encourage you to save paper by printing typed assignments on the back of previously used paper. If you do this, I ask that you draw an “X” through the side I don’t need to read. Alternatively, print your assignments on both sides of fresh paper. Spreadsheets and graphs can be sent to me via e-mail, and if possible, I will refrain from printing them at all.
Extra credit policy
I may periodically offer extra credit as an incentive to participate in activities that are related to class, but not otherwise required—public lectures, service projects, etc. Extra credit cannot be used to raise your final course grade more than one step—i.e. a C- to a C or a B+ to an A-. Thus, any extra credit earned beyond 40-50 points will enrich your soul, but cannot enrich your grade.
Disability Accommodations
I will make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities or special needs upon request.