Ecology i: The Earth System Course

Lesson 1 • Systems Thinking in Ecology

Applies systems thinking tools to ecological problems. Prepares students to model complex interactions throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Timescales of Earth Processes

Distinguishes geological, ecological, and human timescales of change. Helps students contextualise rates of environmental transformation.

Lesson 3 • Defining the Earth System

Introduces the four major spheres and their boundaries. Provides the structural vocabulary needed for all subsequent system-level analysis.

Lesson 4 • Matter Cycling Fundamentals

Covers the movement of elements through reservoirs and fluxes. Establishes biogeochemical cycling as a unifying concept for ecology.

Lesson 1 • Precipitation Patterns and Water Availability

Maps global precipitation distribution and its ecological consequences. Connects atmospheric dynamics to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Lesson 2 • Global Atmospheric Circulation

Explains Hadley, Ferrel, and polar cells and their effects on precipitation. Links circulation patterns to biome distribution.

Lesson 3 • Climate Variability and Oscillations

Covers ENSO, PDO, and other multi-year climate cycles. Demonstrates how natural variability affects ecosystem productivity and species distributions.

Lesson 4 • Paleoclimate and Long-Term Change

Reconstructs past climates using ice cores, pollen, and sediment records. Provides baseline context for evaluating modern climate trajectories.

Lesson 1 • Wetlands and Inland Water Bodies

Examines lakes, ponds, and wetlands as biogeochemical hotspots. Highlights their disproportionate ecological and carbon-cycling importance.

Lesson 2 • Ocean Circulation and Marine Ecology

Covers thermohaline circulation, upwelling, and their effects on marine productivity. Links ocean dynamics to global heat and carbon distribution.

Lesson 3 • River Systems and Watershed Ecology

Analyses watershed structure, river continuum, and nutrient spiralling. Demonstrates how catchment land use shapes aquatic ecology.

Lesson 4 • Global Water Distribution

Quantifies freshwater and saltwater reservoirs and their accessibility. Establishes water scarcity as a fundamental ecological constraint.

Lesson 1 • Soil Biota and Decomposition

Examines microbial communities, fungi, and invertebrates driving decomposition. Connects soil biodiversity to nutrient mineralisation rates.

Lesson 2 • Soil Physical and Chemical Properties

Covers texture, structure, pH, and cation exchange capacity. Links soil chemistry to nutrient availability and plant community composition.

Lesson 3 • Geological Processes and Landscape Ecology

Connects tectonics, volcanism, and erosion to long-term nutrient supply. Shows how geological history shapes regional ecological patterns.

Lesson 4 • Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Soils

Details fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus weathering. Explains nutrient limitation as a control on ecosystem productivity.

Lesson 1 • Dryland and Arctic Ecosystems

Analyses deserts, shrublands, tundra, and polar systems under extreme abiotic stress. Highlights adaptations and vulnerability to warming.

Lesson 2 • Climate Envelopes and Biome Classification

Uses temperature and precipitation to define biome boundaries. Introduces Whittaker diagrams and climate-vegetation relationships.

Lesson 3 • Temperate and Boreal Ecosystems

Covers deciduous forests, grasslands, and taiga ecology. Connects seasonal phenology and disturbance regimes to carbon storage.

Lesson 4 • Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems

Examines rainforests, savannas, and dry forests as high-productivity systems. Analyses nutrient cycling, canopy structure, and biodiversity patterns.

Lesson 1 • Marine Primary Production

Examines phytoplankton, macroalgae, and chemosynthetic production. Connects nutrient availability and light to ocean productivity patterns.

Lesson 2 • Coral Reefs and Coastal Habitats

Examines coral reef ecology, mangroves, and seagrass beds as biodiversity hotspots. Highlights their carbon storage and coastal protection functions.

Lesson 3 • Marine Food Webs and Trophic Dynamics

Traces energy from primary producers through zooplankton to apex predators. Analyses trophic efficiency and top-down vs. bottom-up control.

Lesson 4 • Ocean Zones and Physical Structure

Defines pelagic, benthic, and intertidal zones by light, pressure, and temperature. Establishes the physical template for marine ecological communities.

Lesson 1 • Biodiversity Loss and Extinction Dynamics

Analyses current extinction rates, drivers, and cascading effects. Frames biodiversity loss as an Earth system perturbation with feedback consequences.

Lesson 2 • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Reviews experimental evidence linking diversity to productivity and stability. Demonstrates complementarity and insurance effects as mechanisms.

Lesson 3 • Measuring and Describing Biodiversity

Introduces alpha, beta, and gamma diversity metrics and species-area relationships. Provides quantitative tools for comparing biodiversity across scales.

Lesson 4 • Drivers of Biodiversity Patterns

Explains latitudinal gradients, island biogeography, and disturbance effects. Connects evolutionary history and abiotic filters to diversity patterns.

Lesson 1 • Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems

Examines range shifts, phenological mismatches, and coral bleaching as documented responses. Connects warming trajectories to ecosystem tipping points.

Lesson 2 • Sustainability Pathways and Restoration

Evaluates nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration, and emission reduction strategies. Connects Earth system science to actionable sustainability decisions.

Lesson 3 • Planetary Boundaries Framework

Introduces the nine planetary boundaries and their current status. Provides a systems-level tool for evaluating safe operating space for humanity.

Lesson 4 • Anthropogenic Drivers of Global Change

Quantifies land use change, fossil fuel emissions, and nitrogen deposition as primary human pressures. Establishes the Anthropocene as a distinct Earth system state.