Science in the News: If you are 27 or younger you have never experienced a colder than average month

http://grist.org/news/if-youre-27-or-younger-youve-never-experienced-a-colder-than-average-month/

Tech Professor Receives Death Threats Over Climate Change

Here is a link to a couple of articles about Tech Political Science Professor Katharine Hayhoe. Dr. Hayhoe is a climate scientist whose research supports the conclusion that human activity have helped to cause global climate change. Dr. Hayhoe is perhaps unique in the debate about climate change because she is an evangelical Christian and she and her husband, a pastor, have written a book about climate change from an evangelical perspective.

http://www.katharinehayhoe.com/

I was quite disturbed to learn that her views have led to her receiving death threats!! If you would like to know more about this then please take a look at the following articles. I think these articles show how misunderstood the process of science is by many Americans!

Texas Tech scientist sees intimidation effort behind barrage of hate mail. http://texasclimatenews.org/wp/?p=4153

Newt Dumps Christian Climate Scientist
http://motherjones.com/environment/2012/01/newt-dumps-leading-climate-scientist

McG's Last Day

Obviously, in a one-semester course that attempts to integrate Geology, Climate Science, Oceanography, and Biology there will be lots of potentially topics that will remain uncovered.  Today I would like to illustrate two important points "take home points" by having us watch two of my favorite videos.

The World is Complicated and It is Really Cool!!
One of the highlight of my "biology life" was visiting Kruger Park when I was about 13 (how sad to peak so young). I saw lots of amazing animals, but I didn't see anything like this. This video keeps getting better so watch it all the way to the end. Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM



There Are Lots of People on the Earth!!
Here is a link to a YouTube video on "World Population" The first minute and a half or so is a little boring, so you can skip over it if you wish. However, I think the animation showing when and where human population growth has been occurring is really cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BbkQiQyaYc

Presentation Schedule & Important Dates and Deadlines

As we near the end of the semester I want to make sure that everyone is aware of what is coming up and is clear on all of the important dates and deadlines.

Lecture
The presentation schedule is provided below.  Your oral presentation will account for 15% of your lecture grade and your term paper on the same topic (3 - 5 pages) will count for 15% as well.  The paper is due on Wednesday December 5th.

Lab
There will be no oral report of your lab results.  The scientific paper reporting on the results of your study is due on December 10th by 5:00 PM.

Final Exam
The Final Exam will be on Tuesday December 11th  7:30 - 10:00.

Presentation Schedule

Monday November 19
Purshia- Environmental Philosphy
Ry

Monday November 26
Emily
Sarah M- Climate Change and Culture
Jessica

Wednesday November 28
Jessie- Cephalopods
Reagan
Tim- Tides

Friday November 30
Stuart
Stewart
Krista- Rainforest Sustainability

Monday December 3
CJ
Mackenzie
Kelsey- Evolution

Wednesday December 5
Jerron
Allie
Sam

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Further Reading

Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

A report of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
Summary for Policymakers
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf

IPCC- Synthesis Report- http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

Articles from EoE

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

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

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 cllimate scientists have concluded that this increase in temperature is most likely caused by humans

- discuss some potential consequences of global climate change

The Physical Environment- Climate Basics

Introduction

The physical environment can have a profound influence on ecology at a variety of levels. For example, the physical environment can act as a strong selective presssure to produce adaptations or can influence the rates of nutrient cycling through an ecosystem. For our simple purposes here, the two most important components of the physical environment are temperature and precipitation. I suggest that we can predict a lot about what is going on ecologically in an environment if we know something about temperature and precipitation patterns.

From watching the nightly news we all know how difficult it is for the local weatherperson to accurately predict what the weather is going to be like tomorrow. Fortunately, it is much easier to understand broad patterns of variation in temperature and precipitation.

Temperature



The dominant global temperature pattern is that it tends to get cooler as you move away from the poles. The cause of this is relatively simple. Because the earth is so far from the sun, the light rays hitting the earth are basically paralell to each other. Because of the curvature of the earth, sunlight hitting the earth near the equator falls over a smaller area than sunlight hitting near the poles. Because the same amount of light energy is hitting a smaller area near the equator, the concentration of energy/area is greater near the equator than the pole thus resulting in higher temperatures.

Elevation is another factor that influences global temperatures. Because there is less insulating atmosphere above areas of high elevation temperatures tend to decrease as you go up in elevation.

Large bodies of water can mediate temperature variations. For example, seasonal and daily variation in temperatures are much lower in areas near the ocean (maritime climates) than they are in areas far from the ocean (continental climates).

Global temperature patterns can also be affected by patterns of ocean circulation. For example, the west coast of continents are often cooled by cool water flowing from the poles to the tropics while the east coasts of continents can be warmed by warmer water from the tropics to the poles (e.g., the Gulf Stream). If you have ever been to the beach in southern California you surely noticed how cold the water was; east coast beaches at similar latitudes have much warmer water.

Precipitation

In order to understand global precipitation patterns you need to understand global patterns of atmospheric circulation. Hopefully, after studying the article on atmospheric circulation you will be able to explain-

1. why there tends to be high precipitation in tropical regions and

2. why precipitation tends to be low at 30 degrees North and South of the equator.

Patterns of precipitation can also be influenced by the presence of mountains. As air masses containing moisture hit a mountain they are forced upward. Because rising air cools and cool air







holds less moisture, precipitation occurs on the windward side of mountains. Once the air mass has passed over the mountain in falls to lower elevations and gets warmer. Because most of the moisture has been lost as precipitation on the windward side of the mountain and the warmer air holds more moisture there is very little precipitation on the leward side of the mountain resulting in a "rainshadow desert".

Let's think about Lubbock!

Let's see if we can use our newfound understanding of some of the factors influencing temperature and precipitation to make predictions about what the climate should be like in Lubbock. What information do we need about the geographic location of Lubbock to help us understand the climate? First, we need to know the latitude; Lubbock is located approximately 33 degrees north. Second we need to know something about the proximity to the ocean. As an old beach boy, I can guarantee you that we are a long, long way from the ocean in Lubbock. Third, where is Lubbock in relation to mountains? Lubbock is located to the east of the southern extension of the Rockies.

Why is all of this important?

1. What can we learn from the latitude of 33 degrees North? This latitude is still close enough to the equator to be warm so we expect relatively high temperatures. Because Lubbock lies near the 30 degree zone of low precipitation we would predict relatively low precipitation. At 30 degrees North we would predict that Lubbock would receive predominately winds from the west.

2. From the continental location of Lubbock we would predict fairly extreme daily and seasonal fluctuations of temperatures.

3. Because Lubbock lies in the Westerlies most of the precipitation that is arriving in Lubbock comes from the Pacific Ocean. Because these winds have passed over the Rockies we would predict that Lubbock would lie in a rainshadow, again causing low precipitation.

How did we do. If anyone has ever been in Lubbock (especially in the spring time) you would know that the wind almost always blows in from the west. Temperatures are relatively warm but there is fairly large seasonal and daily variations in temperature. Lubbock has a semi-arid climate and receives on average about 18 inches of precipitation per year. Thus, with just a little bit of knowlege about the factors that influence global patterns of temperature and precipitation we were able to fairly accurately the climate in Lubbock. Thus, I would expect that organisms native to Lubbock should be well adapted to the low precipitation, continental climate of the region (the short grass prairie was the dominant vegetation type presettlement).

See use these patterns to understand climate in your town (note climate patterns in Texas are complicated in central and eastern Texas becasue of the influence of air masses coming up from the Gulf). Compare the temperature and precipitation of your town with that if very divergent locations around the globe.


Further Reading

If you would like some more detailed information about factors affecting climate and the atmosphere you can check out the Atmosphere Chapter in Michael Pidwirny's online Physical Geography textbook http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/contents.html.

Powerpoint Presentation

Click here to see the powerpoint presentation "Factors Influencing the Physical Environment".
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/EaVq4nm5KuSsBI

Expected Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- describe global patterns of variation in temperature and precipitation and be able to explain the causes of these patterns

- for any location in the world, use your knowledge of the factors that affect global patterns to preict the local climate

Science in the News- We've Built Right up to the Edge in the Most Foolish Way

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/11/weve-built-right-edge-most-foolish-way/3789/#.UJXbLP8NT-0.facebook

Making our Coastal Cities More Resilient Can't Wait
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/11/making-our-cities-more-resilient-cant-wait/3758/

The Danger Increases But The Water Still Calls
http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA2BR0K80%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1011

Plate Tectonics and the Formation of Coral Reefs

https://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reefs-1616280

Plate Tectonics

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/plate-tectonics-i

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/plate-tectonics-ii

How Old is Stuff?

Readings

James Hutton http://www.eoearth.org/article/Hutton,_James

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

Charles Lyell http://www.eoearth.org/article/Lyell,_Charles

Law of Superposition http://imnh.isu.edu/exhibits/online/geo_time/geo_principles.htm#super

Age of the Earth http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html

How Do We Know The Age of the Earth http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/gtime/ageofearth.html#age

Radiometric Dating http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens211/radiometric_dating.htm

How Old is the Universe http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html

WMAP http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Video

Radioactive Dating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1920gi3swe4

Cool Interactive Website

Clocks in Rocks http://www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualDating/files/1.0_ClocksInRocks.html

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/how-old-is-stuff

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

- discuss the contributions of Hutton and Lyell to the development of the field of geology

- define uniformitarianism

- discuss why early geologists concluded that the Earth had to be much older than 6000 years

- discuss how scientists use radioactive dating to determine age

- briefly discuss how scientists determined the age of the Universe

The Earth- Basic Intro Part II

Readings

Structure of the Earth http://www.eoearth.org/article/Structure_of_the_Earth

The Big Bang http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang/

Composition of Rocks http://www.eoearth.org/article/Composition_of_rocks

Igneous Rock http://www.eoearth.org/article/Igneous_rock

Sedimentary Rock http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sedimentary_rock?topic=49478

Metamorphic Rock http://www.eoearth.org/article/Metamorphic_rock?topic=50013

Rock Cycle http://www.eoearth.org/article/Rock_cycle?topic=50013

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

- briefly discuss the characteristics of the different layers of the earth

- briefly discuss the origin of the Universe by the Big Bang

- discuss the three different types of rocks

- briefly discuss the rock cycle

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/the-earth-part-ii

Ecosystem Ecology: Energy

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 energy and the cycling of nutrients through the ecosystem.  In this lesson we will focus on energy.

Further Readings

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

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

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

- discuss the implications of the energy pyramid on the population sizes and risks of extinction.

- discuss why the "inverted trophic pyramid" originally described in coral reefs was so disturbing to ecologists.

Peopleing

Overfishing has become a big problem, but as yet, overpeopleing has not!

Writing Assignment #2

In a debate of GOP candidates for President held in September, Governor Rick Perry was asked a question about climate change. His response to that question is shown in the You Tube video in the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoPvxcwZ5xw

Your Assignment- Comment on his response. 2 pages maximum

Rough Draft due Friday, October 5th

Workshop Papers- Monday October 8th or Wednesday October 10th

Final Draft Due- Monday October 15th

Coral Reefs

Background Readings

Coral reefs- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_reef

Threats to Coral Reefs-
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Threats_to_coral_reefs

Cnidaria- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cnidaria

Zooxanthellae- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Zooxanthellae

Global warming takes a toll on coral reefs
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming_takes_a_toll_on_coral_reefs

Patterns of Caribbean coral loss
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Patterns_of_Caribbean_coral_loss

Coral disease-
http://www.reef.crc.org.au/discover/coralreefs/Coraldisease.htm

Coral stress and disease
http://www.reefrelief.org/Image_archive/diseases/index.shtml

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/MXAjnaF502X8PL

Great Online Resource

• Coral-reef-info.com Your Online Guide to Coral Reefs- http://www.coral-reef-info.com/

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

- discuss the characteristics or the cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae that make up a corals

- discuss the "dilema of the inverteed trophic pyramid" and the role that the discovery of zooxanthellae played in solving that mystery

- discuss the mutualism between cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae

- discuss some of the threats facing coral reefs

- discuss coral bleaching and some of the proposed mechanisms of bleaching

- discuss the characteristics of some of the important coral diseases

Additional Powerpoint Presentations


Intro to Oceans
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/3UkF9S2ALRGNMz

Intro to Coral Reefs
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reefs-1616280

Coral Reef Zonation
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reef-zonation

Coral Reef Interactions
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reef-interactions

Science in the News: The Mystery of the Disappearing Bees: Solved!

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/

Mangroves

Mangroves form an important, yet poorly understood and greatly unappreciated tropical ecosystem. Mangroves include a number of tropical trees and shrubs that are able to live in the intertidal zone along tropical coastlines. Mangrove plants all have adaptations to allow them to live in periodically flooded regions with high salt content. Thus, mangrove plants are defined by their ecological niche rather than their taxonomy and the approximately 70 species of mangrove plants come from 20 different plant families. The mangrove ecosytem (sometimes referred to as the mangal) occurs along protected coastlines in the tropics where mangrove plants grow.

Mangroves are common in the protected coasts in Central America and the Caribbean(they are also found in Florida and other regions of the Gulf Coast in the US). However, mangrove ecosystems in the Caribbean contain many fewer species than mangrove ecosystems in the tropics. For example, there are three main species of mangroves found in the Caribbean region whereas there can be as many as 58 species of mangroves found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Problems Facing Plants Licving in Intertidal Areas

Plants living in intertidal environments face a number of problems. First, because the soil is very fine and water logged, it is difficult for the root system to support the plant. Second, because the roots zone is waterlogged, plant roots are unable to pick up the oxygen they need through the woil. Finally, because they are living in the intertidal zone mangrove plants have to be able to live in water with high salt concentrations.

Mangrove Roots

Because mangroves live in waterlogged, unconsolidated soil, they have to have specialized root systems to support themselves.

Trees that live on land usually have a number of roots below ground that join into a single trunk that extends above ground. As you can see from these photos, the growth form of mangrove plants is very different. A large number of roots branch off from the trunk and then grown down into the soil. These roots, known as prop roots, help to stabilize the trees.


Some mangrove trees produce "aerial roots" that drop down from branches until they reach the soil. One they reach the soil they help to support the tree.





Adaptations For Picking Up Oxygen

Remember that, unlike us, plants don't breathe. Plant leaves produce the oxygen they need as a byproduct of photosynthesis. However, because they are underground and not exposed to light, plant roots are unable to conduct photosynthesis so they have to rely on picking up oxygen from the surrounding soil by diffusion. On land the air spaces between soil particles provides the oxygen that the plant needs. However, in waterlogged soils, water replaces the air in the spaces between the soil particles so there is no oxygen available to the plant roots. Because plants don't have a circulatory system, there is no way for them to quickly move oxygen from the leaves to the roots. Thus, mangroves have evolved interesting adaptations to provide oxygen to their roots.

Some mangrove plants produce interesting structures known as pneumatophores. Pneumatophores are structure that grow up out of the soil high. These pneumatophores allow the plants to pick up oxygen from the air that can be used by the roots.


The shapes of pneumatophores differs between species.


The white blotches on the prop roots are structures known as lenticels. The lenticels are connected to the underwater roots by a spongy tissues that allow oxygent that diffuses into the prop roots through the lenticels to diffuse easily to the roots where it is needed.


Importance of Mangroves

Mangroves are being destroyed around the world at a rapid rate. Mangroves are destroyed to allow for coastal development or aquaculture. Mangroves are very important ecosystems for two reasons. First, they serve as nurseries for a number of marine fish and invertebrates. The juveniles of many species hide out among the mangrove roots until they are large enough to move out to the reef. Second, the mangrove roots protects the shore from the effects of storms and tsunamis. It was well documented that regions that were protected by mangroves were much less negatively affected by the big tsunami than those regions where the mangroves have been removed.

Readings

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_ecology?topic=49514

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_swamp?topic=58071

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

- define "mangrove"
- discuss the problems facing plants living in the estuarine environment
- discuss adaptations of mangove plants to deal with the abiotic environment

Coastal Habitats

Readings

General
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_habitats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertidal_zone

Rocky Shore
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/03ecology/tptales.htm
http://ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/coastal/rocky.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_shore

Sandy Shore
http://ecology.hku.hk/jupas/sandy%20shore/Sandy%20shores%20main.htm
http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envfacts/facts/sandy_shores.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/infobursts/sandy_shore_bg.shtml

Mudflats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/03ecology/mfindex.htm

Salt Marsh
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Salt_marsh

Mangroves
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_swamp?topic=58071
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_ecology?topic=49514

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coastal-ecosystems

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

- discuss the relationship between wave force and particle size
- discuss important abiotic gradients that occur in intertidal habitats
- briefly discuss rocky shores, sandy shores, mudflats, salt marshes, and mangroves
- compare and contrast ecological communities in the various intertidal habitats
- discuss how ecologists have used manipulative experiments to be study the factors that influence the    distribution of organisms
- design manipulative experiments to study the factors limiting the distribution of an organism

Natural Selection

An understanding of the process of natural selection helps us to understand the amazing diversity of life on the earth.

Expected Learning Outcomes

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

1) define the process of natural selection

2) distinguish between the patterns of stabilizing, disruptive, and directional selection and provide examples of each pattern

3) describe how the process of natural selection has produced a trait that is an adaptation to a particular environmental condition.

4) explain why organisms are not expected to be perfectly adapted to their environments

5) discuss the conditions that would cause natural selection to stop

6) explain why natural selection is expected to produce selfish traits

Readings

Natural selection http://www.eoearth.org/article/Natural_selection

Here is a link to a website from UC Berkeley that might be useful to take a look at-

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25

Science in the News: http://www.alternet.org/environment/inside-look-first-village-forced-relocate-due-climate-change

http://www.alternet.org/environment/inside-look-first-village-forced-relocate-due-climate-change