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RCCORE 100 005 FA 2020
This writing seminar is about the past, present, and future of Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems and our relationship to them. Living species and ecosystems face a host of pressures and disruptions from human activities, and many biologists argue that we are in the early stage of a mass extinction. The fossil record documents the history of species and ecosystems extending millions of years into the past, containing information and insights about how biodiversity has responded to local and global stresses of many kinds. The fossil record also documents the variability and stability of ecosystems during “normal” periods without major stresses and provides a series of historical baselines for comparison with changes during human history up to the present day. We will investigate earth history and processes in modern ecosystems for information relevant to some of our most pressing environmental crises. These include the responses of species and ecosystems to global climate change, natural rates of extinction compared to rates observed today, and the behavior of impoverished ecosystems. We will explore scientific and ethical aspects of our interdependence on the rest of nature. Writing assignments will include short analytical reports, a research paper, a personal narrative, and a grant proposal. Students are expected to contribute to lively discussions and a supportive environment in every class meeting.