SDG Detail

ENVSCI 201 : Natural and Human Environmental Systems

Undergraduate course

Project description

An examination of current environmental issues in coupled natural and human systems such as urban environments. Interactions among biological, physical and social processes are discussed and means of measuring and managing the environmental outcomes of their interactions are addressed. With almost 8 billion people on the planet, it is essential to understand how human activities influence our environmental systems. This course considers how two major human activities, urbanisation and agriculture, change the ecology, chemistry, and health of terrestrial and aquatic systems. Students will learn how to find, analyse and interpret information and data relevant to environmental issues. Overall, the course provides students with a basic understanding of current theories, methods, and approaches necessary to help solve complex environmental problems. Student learning will be facilitated through a combination of lectures, class discussions, field-based exercises, and tutorials.

Year 2022

Location New Zealand

Organization University of Auckland

Project aims

Project outcome

By the end of this course, students will be able to: Characterise the interactions between human, biophysical and ecological processes (Capability 1) Evaluate the effects of urbanization and agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem functions (Capability 1 and 2) Obtain, analyze, synthesize and interpret data in the context of the contemporary literature (Capability 4 and 5) Recommend ways to minimize the negative impact of human activities on environmental systems (Capability 3 and 6)