* EEB 341 / ENV 341
Water, Savannas and Society: Resilience and Sustainability in African Drylands
Resilience theory provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of complex social-ecological systems in order to assess and promote sustainability. This course will apply key concepts from resilience theory (e.g., feedbacks, thresholds, regime shifts, adaptive cycles, panarchy) as we investigate the hydrological, ecological, and social dynamics that characterize the social-ecological systems of African pastoralists in water-limited landscapes. Topics will include: ecohydrology of land degradation, ecological interactions in dry savannas, human ecology of pastoralism, and challenges in common pool resource management.
Sample reading list:
Walker and Salt, Resilience Thinking
Reynolds and Stafford-Smith, Global Desertification: Do Humans Cause Deserts?
Readings will consist of book chapters for foundational concepts, journal articles reporting empirical studies of those concepts, and reports from the development and NGO sectors. Classes will include an hour of lecture followed by a half hour of discussion, guest lecture, or practical activity. Students will be evaluated on class preparedness and participation, short writing assignments, midterm exam, and a final paper.
Mid Term Exam - 30%
Paper in lieu of Final - 30%
Papers - 20%
Class/Precept Participation - 20%
Prerequisites and Restrictions:
One of the following: EEB 321, ENV 201, ENV 202, (courses can be taken concurrently), or permission of the instructor..
|23579||L01||1:30 pm - 2:50 pm||T Th||Lewis Library 122||Enrolled:23 Limit:18||Closed|