2020-21 Academic Catalog

Agriculture comprises the greatest single type of land use on the planet--as such, what happens on farms will have far-reaching effects on all other systems on the biosphere. With the world human population growing exponentially, the search for sustainable agricultural systems is more important than ever. This course focuses on the scientific aspects of food production, which will involve the application of the principles of ecosystem and population ecology to agricultural systems. Topics covered will include organic farming, biotechnology, and effects of pesticide use. Several types of local farms will be visited--large, small, organic, conventional. Prerequisite: One introductory science lab course (Biology 125, 126, Chemistry 123, 128, Geology 110, 115, 120 or 125); Requires concurrent registration in Biology 216