Pretty Cool: A Real Time Map of Births and Deaths

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/a-real-time-map-of-births-and-deaths/280609/

Ecology in the News: Overfishing

Appears some room for both optimism and pessimism here.

The End of Fish in One Chart
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/the-end-of-fish-in-one-chart/2012/05/19/gIQAgcIBbU_blog.html

Can the US win the battle against overfishing?-http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/23/can-the-u-s-win-the-battle-against-overfishing/?fb_action_ids=10101862231455198&fb_action_types=og.likes

Just how badly are we overfishing the oceans?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/29/just-how-badly-are-we-overfishing-the-ocean/?fb_action_ids=10101862222602938&fb_action_types=og.likes

Invasive Species

Invasive species are an important threat to biodiversity and can be very costly to humans.

Further Reading

1) Invasive Species- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Invasive_species

2) Marine Invasive species - http://www.eoearth.org/article/Marine_invasive_species

3) Aquatic Invasive Species- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aquatic_invasive_species

4) Invasion Fact Sheet- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Invasion_fact_sheet

Powerpoint Presentation

Invasive Species Slideshow- http://www.slideshare.net/secret/bL1TCLiLtoH5Np


Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss threats caused by invasive species
- discuss strategies to exclude or eliminate invasive species
- discuss some invasive species in Texas
- discuss factors that allow species to invade new communities

The Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl was an environmental catastrophe, a natural hazard (multiannual drought) in the 1930s in the Southern Great Plains of the USA, resulting in the activation of a geomorphic process (intense wind erosion) which, when human society could not adapt to it, cascaded into unprecedented agricultural, economic, and societal collapse in its core region. Over the years, the cause of the Dust Bowl has been variably ascribed to specific climatic or meteorological phenomena or land management practices. Drought and wind erosion have been notable phenomena in the Southern Great Plains throughout the Holocene, occurring long before conversion of the land to agricultural use, and still continue today. (Gill and Lee 2006)

Further Readings

Dust Bowl http://www.eoearth.org/article/Dust_Bowl

The Dust Bowl http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1583.html

On the cause of the 1930s Dust Bowl. Science 2004 http://www.sciencemag.org/content/303/5665/1855.abstract

NASA explains the Dust Bowl Drought http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2004/0319dustbowl.html

A critical evlauation of the Dust Bowl and its causes. Gill and Lee. 2006
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006AGUFM.A44C..06G

What America Looked Like: The Dust Bowl (2012 in The Atlantic. lots of good photos)
http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/02/what-america-looked-like-the-dust-bowl/253220/#slide3

Misery on a Grand Scale: The Drought of today and Yesteryear. Wynan Meinzer is a photographer who teachers photography at Tech. He teaches Wildlife Photography at Junction during Intersession which would be a great experience for all budding photographers.
http://www.wymanmeinzer.com/misery-on-a-grand-scale-the-drought-of-today-and-yesteryear/

Video

Surviving the Dust Bowl. PBS
http://video.pbs.org/video/1311363860/

"The Naturalist" by Barry Lopez

Here is a link to an article written by Barry Lopez, entitled "The Naturalist", that was published in Orion Magazine in 2001.  Those of you in EVHM may have read this article in other classes, but even if you have read it before, it s worth keeping some of Barry's ideas in the back of your mind while you are taking an "Ecology" class.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/91/

Here is a link to his website in case you are interested.

http://www.barrylopez.com/

Climate Change Deniers and IPCC Report

 

 

Here is my (incomplete and poorly organized attempt) to try to gather additional useful and interesting information about climate change.  First, I will post the "Summary for Policy Makers" recently released by the IPCC and a recent USA Today article expressing and opposite viewpoint.
The I will list some links to some "climate change deniers" groups (this list is certainly not exhaustive).  Finally I have included links to some interesting vides on both sides of the "climate debate".  (Of course it is the coldest morning of the year when I post these!!!!!!)

IPCC Report

IPCC Summary for Policy Makers- http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGIAR5-SPM_Approved27Sep2013.pdf

IPCC Exaggerates Risks: Opposing View (USA Today October 14, 2013)- http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/10/14/ipcc-climate-change-heartland-institute-editorials-debates/2983941/

The Science Fiction of IPCC Climate Models. (Heartland Institute, October 12, 2013)- http://news.heartland.org/editorial/2013/10/12/science-fiction-ipcc-climate-models

Some Climate Change Denial Groups

Heartland Institute- http://heartland.org/

Climate Change Dispatch- http://www.climatechangedispatch.com/

GlobalClimateScam.com- http://www.globalclimatescam.com/

Climate Change Denial-http://www.climatechangedispatch.com/

Friends of Science- http://www.friendsofscience.org/index.php?id=158

Heartland Institute and its NIPPC Report fails the credibility test- http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2013/09/09/heartland-institute-nipcc-fail-the-credibility-test/

Videos

Rick Perry Debate- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoPvxcwZ5xw

Global Warming Panic Explained- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdxaxJNs15s&feature=player_embedded

Providing Insight into Climate Change- http://www.friendsofscience.org/index.php?id=394

The Truth About Global Warming- Stephen Schneider: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_eJdX6y4hM

Bill Nye vs Marc Morano (CNN debate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWT-EWKIR3M

Koch Industries and Climate Denial - http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/

Climate Deniers: Bill Maher- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OwFSLm4pII  (careful, contains a few naughty words)

Cute and Timely Video: Dad, I can't take you anywhere, even the science fair!

http://action.lcv.org/site/PageNavigator/Science_Fair_Nightmare_video_share.html

Writing Assignment #2

Readings

Classic Paper

The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital by Costanza et al.
NATURE |VOL 387 | 15 MAY 1997

http://www.esd.ornl.gov/benefits_conference/nature_paper.pdf

Other Suggested Readings

Biodiversity and ecosystem services- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversity_and_ecosystem_services

Marine ecosystem services- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Marine_ecosystem_services

Ecosystem services and human well-being synthesis: summary for decision-makers.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecosystems_and_Human_Well-being_Synthesis:_Summary_for_Decision-makers

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define ecosystem services

- discuss the variety of services provided by the environment

- discuss how scientists have attempted to determine the monetary value of ecosystem services

Writing Assignment #2

After reading the materials on ecosystem services, write an article (3 page max, double spaced) discussing ecosystem services that could be published in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

Dates (note changes): First Draft due Monday October 14th. We will workshop the papers on Wednesday October 16th and the final papers will be due on Monday October 21st.

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Most of the slides from the global climate change portion of this presentation came from Katharine Hayhoe's website (she is a professor in the Tech Political Science Dept and the link to her website is listed on the presentation).

Global Carbon Cycle and Global Climate Change
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/C6iDTujQlIh73C

Further Reading

Climate Change FAQ- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Climate_change_FAQs

Causes of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Causes_of_climate_change

Global Warming- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming

Economics of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Economics_of_climate_change

Mauna Loa Curve- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mauna_Loa_curve

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- identify the major reservoirs of carbon

- discuss the two most important biological processes that result in a movement of carbon from one reservoir to another

- discuss the three ways that human activity has altered the global carbon cycle

- explain the Mauna Loa Curve

- discuss why climate scientists have concluded that global temperatures have increased

- discuss why climate scientists have concluded that this increase in temperature is most likely caused by humans

- discuss some potential consequences of global climate change

In Case You Are Interested: Dead Zones

Eutrophication can affect marine ecosystems as well.

Required Readings

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone

http://www.smm.org/deadzone/

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define "dead zones"

- discuss the causes of dead zones

- discuss some of the ecological and social problems associated with dead zones

In Case You Are Interested: Eutrophication

Eutrophication is a process that arises as the result of humans altering nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

Required Readings

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Eutrophication

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Hypoxia_fact_sheet

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- define eutrophication

- discuss the causes of eutrophicationb

- discuss some ecological and social results of eutrophication

- discuss mitigation of eutrophication

Ecosystem Ecology

NOTE!!! By the end of this class you should be able to discuss what is wrong with the diagram shown above!!!!!


Ecosystem ecologists focus on the flow of enery and the cycling of nutrients through the ecosystem.

Further Readings

Ecosystems- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecosystem

Ecological energetics- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ecological_energetics

Nitrogen cycle- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Nitrogen_cycle

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- diagram and discuss the flow of energy through an ecosystem

- diagram, discuss the causes of, and discuss some of the implications of the enegy pyramid

- diagram nitrogen cycle within an ecosystem

- discuss the factors that influence the rate of flow from dead bodies to the soil and discuss the implications of differences in this rate

In Case You Are Interested: Invasive Species

Invasive species are an important threat to biodiversity and can be very costly to humans.  It is interesting to think about what allows and what are the consequences of adding a new species to a community.

Further Reading

1) Invasive Species- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Invasive_species

2) Marine Invasive species - http://www.eoearth.org/article/Marine_invasive_species

3) Aquatic Invasive Species- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aquatic_invasive_species

4) Invasion Fact Sheet- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Invasion_fact_sheet

Powerpoint Presentation

Invasive Species Slideshow- http://www.slideshare.net/secret/bL1TCLiLtoH5Np


Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss threats caused by invasive species
- discuss strategies to exclude or eliminate invasive species
- discuss some invasive species in Texas
- discuss factors that allow species to invade new communities

In Case You are Interested: Tilman's Model of Competition for 2 Limiting Resources

Slideshow

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/tilmans-model-of-competition-for-two-resources

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

1)define ZNGI, consumption vector, supply vector, resource supply point

2)determine the outcome of competition when provided with information about ZNGIs, consumption vectors, and resource supply point.

3) distinguish between a stable and unstable equilibrium and be able to discuss why stable equilibria are particularly important outcomes from these models.