Biological Sciences 321PB - Conference Course: 'Plant Biogeography'

What roles do ecology and evolution play in shaping where, when, and how plants are geographically distributed? In this course, we focus on this question by examining plant geographic patterns on both global and local scales. We explore how abiotic and biotic factors affect historical, present, and potential future plant distributions. Together we engage primary literature on topics such as island biogeography, climate change effects on species persistence, and contemporary influences of humans on the movement of plants. In lab we use analytical tools such as phylogenetics and ecological niche modeling to investigate the intersections between plant evolution, geography, and climate change.

Prereq: 8 credits at the 200 level in Biological Sciences or equivalent.