BSc Biology

Global climate change presents a wide range of impacts and challenges for the organisms that live on this earth. This unit will explore the challenges and uncertainties climate change presents in terms of its potential impacts on living systems and organisms. Each week the course will cover a different aspect of climate change and its impact on plants, animals and ecosystems delivered by experts in their field. It will also explore how climate science information is portrayed in the media and the issues around misinformation, complexity, uncertainty and risk. 

Anthropogenic global climate change presents a wide range of impacts and challenges for the organisms that live on this earth. This unit will explore the impact of climate change on organisms, in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Students will develop the ability to process information from scientific papers, reports, the web & the media, in the field of climate change. This unit will encourage independent thinking and an analytical approach to these environmental issues using a series of lectures and discussion workshops.

By the end of this unit students will be able to: 

• Theorise how a rapidly changing climate can affect individual organisms, populations and ecosystems and assess the possibilities and potentials of adaptation and mitigation. 
• Critically appraise and discuss research literature regarding contemporary and controversial issues related to the impacts of climate change on living systems. 
• Understand the impact of climate change on crop production, food security and ways of improving the climate resilience of crops. 
• Understand the impact of climate change on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
• Critically appraise the media representation of climate change science.

Unit consists of series of weekly lectures and discussion workshops. Each week there will be a 2hr workshop to accompany the lectures.  

Climate change at a global level: We will examine scientific evidence for anthropogenic induced climate change, climate system components/indicators, greenhouse gases and changing climate patterns of temperature and rainfall. We will look at IPPC reports and how the media portrays climate change research.  

Impact of climate change on mammalian megafauna: Climate change will create stressful, extreme environments that threaten mammals with extinction. This part will explore current topics in conservation physiology and adapting management for a changing climate.  

Impact of climate change on invertebrates: This section will cover current topics on how climate change drives invertebrate biodiversity declines and alters species interactions with consequences for ecosystem services.  

Mass extinctions: There are five periods in the earth’s history which are recognised as having unusually high rates of extinction and current climate change may be leading to a sixth event. This part of the course will consider the causes and consequences of the ancient mass extinctions and consider what we can learn from these that might help in our current climate crisis.

Food security: We will examine the capability of agriculture to deal with climate change. We will discuss the challenges of climate change on food security, its impacts on the development, yield and quality of crops. We will discuss case studies on ways to increase crop resilience, including climate-proofing photosynthesis, in order to maintain crop production into the future.  

MCQ online quizzes: 5 quizzes with 3-5 questions in each quiz (i.e. each quiz is 4% of final mark). One released each week during course, one hour to complete once started and no repeat attempts.  

 

Written coursework assignment: Written analysis of the research behind an aspect of biological impact of climate change reported in the media i.e. ‘The Science Behind the Media Story’’ (80%- 1500 words max: one title from a number of choices). 

Written feedback is given on Research/media story analysis, formative oral feedback in class during seminars via discussions and/or verbal feedback on presentations. Marks for quizzes released each week.

• Mostly primary research literature based with articles and links provided on Blackboard • J.A. Newman, M. H.A.L. Henry, S. Hunt, Z. Gedalof, (2011) Climate Change Biology CAB International, Wallingford (UK) - Recommended