Prairie Ecosystems 2011

• Instructors: Justin Borevitz 
• Grad TA Aaron Kandur (kandur[at]uchicago.edu, Undergrad TA Sam Betcher (spbetcher[at]uchicago.edu)

• Course Code: BIOS 13113
  

• Lecture Days and Time: Most Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00am-10:20am
  

• Room: BSLC 218 and outside on nice days

• Office Hours: Borevitz (Erman 305b) 10:30am -12noon Tuesdays after class by appointment

• Field Days and Time: (see Schedule)

• Bring your laptop, we will work in class.

• Textbook

• Prairie: A Natural History by Candace Savage (used only)
  

• Chapter 1-2 (buy used from google) not at campus book store. Scanned chapters (10-20 copies in Chicago Public Library)

• The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region (Wayne Grady) Calumet Stud

• Short Readings and References

• Atlas of Biodiversity  by Chicago Wilderness

• Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision

• Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan

  City of Chicago Nature and Wildlife Plan (updated!)

• Chicago Wilderness magazine Calumet Issue Spring 2009!

• Plants and Climate Change (Botanical Gardens International)

• Earth and Environmental Systems Science (podcast)

• Biomimicry by Janine Benyus

• The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture (Wendell Berry)

• Your contributions, add links in your Intro page.

How did prairie ecosystems evolve and spread across the continent?

How did they re-establish themselves after the last glacial retreat?

Why are prairie ecosystems on the brink of extinction?

What are the biological components of prairie ecosystems? What plants, animals, microbes, and others?

What are the ecological processes and functions of prairie ecosystems? -- adaptation, succession, disturbance, and nutrient cycling

How are prairie ecosystems being restored and reconstructed? What are the methods? How long with it take? What is the benefit/cost?

What can we learn from prairie ecosystems to develop sustainable cities, agriculture, and energy systems?

2009 Prairie Ecosystems

2008 Prairie Ecosystems

2007 Prairie Ecosystems website