GEOB 102

OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT:

CLIMATE AND ECOSYTEMS
Winter term 2 2014-2015
INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Simon Donner, 133 Geography, before Winter Break
simon.donner@ubc.ca
Dr. Greg Henry, 231 Geography, after Winter Break
greg.henry@ubc.ca
INTRODUCTION
This course introduces you to the study of climatology and biogeography, two important subdisciplines of the Biogeosciences the study of the Earth through the interaction of biology and
geosciences. Climatology is the study of the heat and moisture states of the Earths surface and
atmosphere. Biogeography is the study of the distribution and dynamics of organisms and their
environments, and the influential processes. The objectives of the course are to give you an
overview of climatology and biogeography, to introduce and illustrate major concepts, and to
prepare you for more advanced courses in both subjects. The topics in this course are important to
students interested in the biophysical sciences and to students who wish to understand the
important processes underlying many human, social and economic aspects of our environment
and natural resources.
COURSE FORMAT
Lectures will follow the attached course outline. The lectures will introduce and illustrate the
major concepts in climatology and biogeography. Support material will be available on the
course Connect homepage.
SCHEDULE
Lectures: Section 201 - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10:00 am 10:50 am
Labs and assignments: The scheduled laboratory times are opportunities for the students to meet
with teaching assistants to get help with the four scheduled assignments. Attendance is optional
but strongly recommended. All lab sessions will be held in Geography building Room 130.
TEXTBOOK (OPTIONAL)
Students are evaluated based on the material contained in the lectures. If you wish additional
background reading, the course partially follows the textbook "Physical Geography" (5th edition,
Canadian Version) by Strahler and Archibold, John Wiley & Sons, Toronto. This is available as an
e-book through the publisher, which we encourage to save on paper and resources. There are also
some new copies available at the bookstore.
Any previous edition of the optional textbook by Stahler and Archibold, or Geosystems by
Christopherson and Byrne is acceptable; the core material is the same.

STUDENT RESOURCES AND COMMUNICATION

Office Hours:
Dr. Simon Donner, 133 Geography, Tuesday 2 - 3 pm, Wednesday 11 am noon, or by
appointment: simon.donner@ubc.ca
Dr. Greg Henry, 231 Geography, Monday, Wednesday 11 am-12 pm or by appointment:
greg.henry@ubc.ca
Email and Appointments:
If you have questions pertaining to lecture material we encourage you to come to our office hours
or to meet us at the end of class to make an appointment. E-mail should not be used to ask
questions about the course materials.
All questions about missed assignments, missed exams, requests to write an examination at
Access & Diversity, and other practical concerns about the course should be directed to the course
instructors in person or by email. We will respond to emails during business hours only. Please
place the course number GEOB 102 in the subject line of all messages about the course. You are
encouraged to get a UBC email account, which helps ensure that the email filters do not intercept
your message.
Course Connect homepage:
The GEOB 102 Connect homepage contains information on all aspects of the course. It includes
outlines of lectures (not complete notes) and graphs or diagrams presented in class. You need to
supplement these notes by attending the class lectures and/or by referring to the textbook. You
will be able to access the course connect homepage and to download files during the first week of
classes. If you are not able to login, please contact the course instructors.
The Connect page will be used to release and receive assignments and to make general
announcements about the course. A weekly quiz will be held on Connect for a time-limited period
(TBA). Discussion forums will be open one week prior to exam dates where you can post
questions and discuss course material with other students in this class. All writings on the forum
have to be clear and reflect the mutual respect among users.
EVALUATION
Final marks in the course are based on your performance in four categories as follows:
Midterm Lecture Exam in class (Feb 13)
Assignments (four, 5% each)
Weekly questions (on Connect)
Final Lecture Exam (Time/Location TBA)

35%
20%
10%
35%

Total

100%

COURSE POLICIES
Policy on missed assignments and midterm exams:
All assignments must be completed and uploaded to the Connect site on the due date by 6:00 pm.
Late assignments will not be accepted without proper documentation. No exceptions will be
made.
The mid-term exam will be held in class on Friday, Feb 13th. Only students who have made
prior arrangements with the instructors due to university business, or who have contacted the
instructors within five days of the exam with a valid doctors note explaining, will be permitted to
write a makeup midterm exam. Do not schedule a Reading Week trip leaving before the midterm; a flight home for a holiday is not accepted by the university as a valid reason or missing an
exam.
One (and ONLY one) makeup mid-term exam will be scheduled by the course instructors in the
week following the midterm. Only students who have made prior arrangements with the
instructors, or students who have contacted the instructors within 5 days of the missed exam with
a valid doctors note explaining why they missed the exam will be permitted to write the makeup
exam. Without proper documentation (e.g., medical documentation), a missed exam will earn
zero points. The final exam is scheduled by UBC; there will be no makeup final exam.
Policy for students representing UBC, BC or Canada (at academic or sports events):
We fully support students involved with organizations and teams that travel during the term;
however, with this privilege comes additional responsibility. You are responsible for providing
formal documentation identifying the organization you represent and potential schedule conflicts
with this course. In the event that you are travelling and unable to attend an exam, you must
schedule a secondary exam before you depart. Without proper documentation, a missed exam will
earn zero points.
HINTS FOR SUCCESS
It is in your best interest to attend class regularly and to participate in class. Please turn your cellphones off, and if you bring your laptop to class with you, please do not IM, chat or surf the web
during lectures. It is distracting to the instructor and to the other students. Note that food and
drinks are NOT allowed in the Auditorium.
This course moves quickly through a large amount of material in a short time. Try to keep up with
your text readings and address questions you have on the subject matter at the appropriate time
rather than waiting until just before the midterm and final exams for clarification.

Our Changing Environment: Climate and Ecosystems (GEOB 102)

Winter term 2 2014-15 Course Outline
Dates

Lecture Topics

Reference

Jan 5

Introduction to Course

Ch. 1 + 2

Jan 7

The Sun, the Seasons & The Atmosphere

Ch. 2

Jan 9 16

Ch. 3 + 4

Feb 9

The Global Energy System

Assignment #1 handed out Jan 16
Global Climate Change
labs begin for assignment #1
Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation
Labs for Assignment #1: DUE Jan 23
Water Cycle and Precipitation
Assignment #2 handed out Jan 30
Weather
Labs for Assignment #2: DUE Feb 6
NO CLASS FAMILY DAY

Feb 11

Weather + review

Ch. 7

Feb 13

MIDTERM EXAM in lecture (35%)

Feb 16-20

NO CLASSES WINTER BREAK

Feb 23-27

Biogeography: Introduction, Individuals & Populations

Assignment #3: handed out Feb 27
Communities, & Biodiversity
Labs for assignment #3: DUE March 6
Soils & Water Balance
Assignment #4: handed out March 13
Terrestrial Biomes: Introduction and Forests,
Labs for assignment #4: DUE March 20
Terrestrial Biomes: Forests, Savannas, Grasslands

Ch. 21

Terrestrial Biomes: Deserts & Tundra

Ch. 22 + 8

Jan 19
Jan 21 - 26
Jan 28 Feb 2
Feb 3 6

March 2 - 6
March 9 - 13
March 16 - 20
March 23 - 27
March 30
April 1
April 3 & 6
April 8 10
TBA/April
exam period

NO CLASS EASTER HOLIDAY

Global change and ecosystems + Review
FINAL EXAM (35%)

Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
Ch. 7

Ch. 20 + 19
Ch. 19 + 6
Ch. 22 + 8
Ch. 22 + 8