The study of living organisms in their natural environment, spanning the ecological physiology of individuals, the structure of populations, and interactions among species, including the organization of communities and ecosystem function.
This course will focus on plants and climate change globally and in the urban setting in the city of Philadelphia. We will explore challenges faced due to environmental and land use change, and access to green spaces. We will examine the role of plants in urban food, ancestral traditions, community, health & wellbeing, also ecosystems benefits such as reduction of heat islands. We will discuss biological, genetic, breeding as well as ecological solutions for enhancing plant resilience and system resilience for food security. Students will gain hands-on experience, engage in dialog with farm, garden and ecosystem practitioners, city officials and other support systems, NGOs and small businesses. Dialog will occur on visits to local gardens, farms, or parks with representatives and stakeholders or on campus with guest speakers and each other. Students will use storytelling to address ‘tensions’ identified, based on class experience and their own investigation, develop creative project ideas, educational materials, testimonials, or designs. Activities will intersect with to those of PlantARC.
Urban environments present unique challenges and opportunities for plant species. After a review of plant taxonomy and anatomy, this course will examine the ecological impacts of plants in urban settings. We will explore landscapes in and around Penn’s campus to understand how plant communities contribute to ecosystem services in these environments. The applied uses of plants in agriculture, medicine, bioremediation, and other aspects of community health will also be explored.
Crosslistings
Microorganisms play a central role in driving Earth’s biogeochemical cycles, yet they are often invisible and challenging to study. This course focuses on microbial biogeochemistry in the ocean, while emphasizing that many of the same processes operate in other ecosystems (e.g., soils and wetlands), engineered systems (e.g., wastewater treatment plants) and hosts (e.g., human). I will cover fundamental microbial concepts, including microbial ecology, evolutionary history, microbial metabolisms, and how microbial metabolisms are linked to nutrient cycling. Beyond basic concepts and principles, this course emphasizes how this knowledge was obtained. Students will be introduced to key approaches used to study microbes in global biogeochemical cycles, including both experimental and computational methods such as stable isotope techniques, metagenomics, theoretical frameworks, and modeling. The course develops essential scientific skills: reading and critically evaluating research papers, presenting scientific findings to peers, and communicating science to broader audiences. Through hands-on activities, students will practice translating complex microbial biogeochemical research into clear and engaging outreach articles, with the opportunity to develop a piece suitable for publication.
Development is the process by which organisms grow and acquire their final shape. This remarkably complex process requires exquisite spatiotemporal control, and principles of developmental biology have implications for nearly all other biological disciplines. This course is a deep dive into these general biological principles, using plants as a model system. Students will prepare presentations on primary literature and engage in vigorous discussions in a “journal club” format. Our goal is to learn how developmentally significant genes and cellular interactions control differentiation and pattern formation.
Tropical marine ecology explores the diversity and function of tropical marine organisms and ecosystems. Students will learn about the composition and functions of various coastal and marine ecosystems found in the tropics, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves, salt marshes, and tidepools. A major focus of this course will be on coral reefs, which are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the ocean. The course will also explore the physical and biological processes that shape life in tropical marine ecosystems, as well as how these ecosystems both support and are affected by human activities from the local to global level. Weekly lectures will provide a background overview of each topic and will be followed by small group discussions that explore a subject in depth. Finally, students will have the opportunity to explore the intersection of their own interests and background with tropical marine ecology by developing an oral presentation and research paper on a topic of their choosing. The classroom component will be complemented by a field expedition to the island of Bermuda, where students will observe these tropical marine ecosystems firsthand and compare the biodiversity of the flora and fauna across the many different coastal and marine habitats of Bermuda. While in Bermuda, students will also participate in restoration activities to help protect native species and visit cultural sites that explore the link between the marine ecosystems of the island and the economy and culture of the local community.
Survey of the physical, chemical and biological properties of freshwater ecosystems, both riverine and lentic, natural and polluted.
The course will examine major sources of energy on earth: sunlight, mechanical, chemical and biological, and how this energy is transformed into useful energy for humans – typically electrical energy or food. Considerable emphasis will be on forms of regenerative energy that can be used when living off-the-grid. As a case study, we will examine some approaches taken by the US military to provide energy capability for dismounted Marines operating on foot in austere environments. Faculty lectures will be supplemented by guest lectures from leaders in government and industry. No scientific knowledge is assumed beyond high school biology, chemistry and physics. Energy is necessarily a quantitative subject so students should be comfortable with quantitative approaches. A major goal of this course is for students to develop an awareness for the amounts of energy they use in their daily lives, and how they might reduce them. As an exercise, students will measure how much energy their smart phones and laptops use in a day and try to generate a comparable amount of energy through physical effort.