Courses

Courses

Fall 2007 Courses

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101. Introduction to Environmental Studies
Lawrence Simon T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Druckenmiller-016
An interdisciplinary introduction to the variety of environmental problems caused by humanity and confronting us today. Provides an overview of the state of scientific knowledge about major environmental problems and potential responses of governments and people, an exploration of environmental issues, both global and regional, and an exploration of why societies often have such difficulty in reaching consensus on effective and equitable policies within existing political and economic institutions.

103. Marine Environmental Geology
Edward Laine M 9:30 - 10:25, W 9:30 - 10:25, F 9:30 - 10:25 Druckenmiller-020
An introduction to the aspects of marine geology and oceanography that affect the environment and marine resources. Topics include estuarine oceanography and sediments, eutrophication of coastal waters, primary productivity, waves and tides, sea level history, glacial geology of coastal Maine, and an introduction to plate tectonics. Weekly field trips and labs examine local environmental problems affecting Casco Bay and the Maine coast. A one-day weekend field excursion is required.

202. Environmental Policy and Politics
DeWitt John T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Banister-106
Examines alternative ways to protect our environment. Analyzes environmental policies and the regulatory regime that has developed in the United States; new approaches such as free-market environmentalism, civic environmentalism, environmental justice, sustainable development; and environmental policies and politics in other countries, especially China.

204. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Eileen Johnson M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Kanbar Hall-101 Computer Lab
Geographical information systems (GIS) organize and store spatial information for geographical presentation and analysis. They allow rapid development of high quality maps, and enable powerful and sophisticated investigation of spatial patterns and interrelationships. Introduces concepts of cartography, database management, remote sensing, and spatial analysis. The productive use of GIS technology in the physical and social sciences, environmental management, and regional planning is investigated through a variety of applied exercises and problems culminating in a semester project that addresses a specific environmental application.

215. Behavioral Ecology and Population Biology
Nathaniel Wheelwright T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Druckenmiller-020
Study of the behavior of animals and plants, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. Topics include population growth and structure, and the influence of competition, predation, and other factors on the behavior, abundance, and distribution of plants and animals. Laboratory sessions, field trips, and research projects emphasize concepts in ecology, evolution and behavior, research techniques, and the natural history of local plants and animals. Optional field trip to the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island.

216. Telling Environmental Stories
Anthony Walton M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Hatch Library-012
Intended for students with a demonstrated interest in environmental studies, as an introduction to several modes of storytelling, which communicate ideas, historical narratives, personal experiences, and scientific and social issues in this increasingly important area of study and concern. Explores various techniques, challenges, and pleasures of storytelling, and examines some of the demands and responsibilities involved in the conveyance of different types of information with clarity and accuracy in nonfiction narrative. Engages student writing through the workshop method, and includes study of several texts, including The Control of Nature, Cadillac Desert, Living Downstream, and Field Notes from a Catastrophe. Preference given to students who have taken Environmental Studies 101.

217. Marine Protected Area
Peter Mackelworth T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 HL-311 (third floor)
Considers the development of protected policy from the historic principle of “fortress” conservation, to the modern paradigm of “inclusive” collaborative management in nature conservation. Investigates the application of common pool resource theory and its applicability to the “new” protected area paradigm. Although the course draws on a wide range of geographical literature, focus is on the Adriatic Sea and the dynamics between the “western world” as portrayed by the EU and the western Balkans.

219. Biology of Marine Organisms
Kurt Bretsch M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Kanbar Hall-109
The study of the biology and ecology of marine mammals, seabirds, fish, intertidal and subtidal invertebrates, algae, and plankton. Also considers the biogeographic consequences of global and local ocean currents on the evolution and ecology of marine organisms. Laboratories, field trips, and research projects emphasize natural history, functional morphology, and ecology. Lectures and three hours of laboratory or field trip per week. One weekend field trip included.

225. Community, Ecosystem, and Global Change Ecology
John Lichter M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25 Druckenmiller-110
Community ecology is the study of dynamic patterns in the distribution and abundance of organisms. Ecosystem ecology is the study of the flow of energy and cycling of matter through ecological communities. Global change ecology examines how human activities alter communities and ecosystems and how these changes play out at the global scale. Topics include the creation and maintenance of biodiversity, the complexity of species interactions in food webs, the role of disturbance in ecological processes, the importance of biodiversity in ecosystem processes, and human influences on global biogeochemical cycles and climate change. Laboratory sessions consist of local field trips, team research exercises, and independent field research projects. Current and classic scientific literature is discussed weekly.

231. Native Peoples and Cultures of Arctic America
Susan Kaplan M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25 Sills-207
For thousands of years, Inuit, Native American Indian, and Aleut peoples lived in the Arctic regions of North America as hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, harvesting resources from the sea, rivers, and land. The characteristics of Arctic ecosystems and how they are being affected by climate change are examined. The social, economic, political, and religious lives of various Arctic-dwelling peoples are explored in an effort to understand how people have adapted to this dynamic environment and to contact with various Western groups.

240. Environmental Law
Conrad Schneider M 8:00 - 9:25, W 8:00 - 9:25 Chase Barn Chamber
Critical examination of some of the most important American environmental laws and applies them to environmental problems that affect the United States and the world. Students learn what the law currently requires and how it is administered by federal and state agencies, and are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of current law and consider alternative approaches.

244. City, Anti-City, Utopia: Building Urban America
Jill Pearlman M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25 VAC-Beam Classroom
Explores the evolution of the American city from the beginning of industrialization to the present age of mass communications. Focuses on the underlying explanations for the American city's physical form by examining cultural values, technological advancement, aesthetic theories, and social structure. Major figures, places, and schemes in the areas of urban design and architecture, social criticism, and reform are considered.

276. Watershed Hydrology
Peter Lea T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Druckenmiller-210
Everyone lives in a watershed, but how do watersheds function, both naturally and increasingly as impacted by humans? Examines the movement and modification of water through the landscape, emphasizing such topics as natural and human controls of water quality, streamflow generation and surface-groundwater interactions, watershed modeling, and approaches to watershed management. Students perform an integrated investigation of a local watershed, examining natural and human controls on hydrologic processes.

338. Consumption Junction: The Nature and Culture of Consumerism
Matthew Klingle T 1:00 - 3:55 Chase Barn Chamber
Explores the complex connections between consumerism and the natural world. Considers the historical evolution of consumerism from the sixteenth century to the present, the material effects of consumers upon nearby and distant environments, and the social and cultural conflicts entailed in consumption across a wide range of scales, from the local to the global. Topics include the relationship between producers and consumers, transformations to extractive industries like mining or fishing, the rise of the leisure economy, industrialization and its discontents, the natural food and health movements, and the paradoxes of modern environmentalism and consumption. Writing intensive, including several short papers and a longer term project based on original archival and field research.

391. Troubled Waters: Fishing in the Gulf of Maine
Anne Hayden T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55 Sills-209
Around the world and in the Gulf of Maine, overfishing and threats to habitat are putting marine ecosystems and coastal communities under great stress. An interdisciplinary senior seminar exploring the causes and scope of pressures on the marine environment; the potential for restoring ecosystems and fisheries; political conflicts over fisheries and related issues; federal, state, and community-based approaches to managing marine ecosystems; and strategies for coping with scientific and management uncertainties.