6 EC
Semester 1, period 2
5224ENTT6Y
Global environments have been extensively transformed over the last decades, and are projected to change at an accelerated rate over the coming centuries. Human-induced and natural forcing mechanisms, such as land-cover change, climate change, and population growth are the primary drivers of current environmental change. However, to understand if the observed, and projected, environmental changes are outside the normal variation of the Earths system functioning, in terms of magnitude and speed, we require a longer-term context. Landscape, societies and climates evolve over timescales of decades to millennia, and on spatial scales of tens to thousands of kilometers. To obtain insight into how environments have changed beyond the documentary record, we must turn to the fossil record for information. Indicators of past environmental change allow us to reconstruct many aspects of past environments, such as climates, vegetation, and human history, but to make these directly comparable with observed and projected changes a clear understanding of timescales is required. In this course we will consider how information on time can be obtained from the fossil record (dating methods), apply the different methods for reconstructing chronologies, and explore patterns of environmental change through time.
In the course we focus on the importance of timescales for environmental change using a systems science approach to think about function and interactions.
Learning outcomes
During the “Environments through time” course you will work across the disciplines of biology, Earth sciences, physical geography, and archaeology. We will provide training through lectures and computer practical exercises. You will be expected to obtain information and data from the literature and we will train you to organize, manipulate and interpret these data. Throughout the “Environments through time” course you will be engaged in individual and small group activities aimed at teaching you to function as a critical reader of the scientific literature, and as an independent scientist.
The course will lead to the following learning outcomes:
Students will be able to:
Lecture: 12 hours
Laptop seminar: 10 hours
Presentation/symposium: 8 hours
The programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).
Additional requirements for this course:
There is no mandatory attendance; however, students are strongly advised to attend all components of the course.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
0.5 (50%) Written exam | Must be ≥ 4, Allows retake |
|
0.25 (25%) Written assignment | Must be ≥ 4 |
|
0.25 (25%) Presenatation | Must be ≥ 4 |
Students must obtain a grade of at least 4 out of 10 for each of the assessed components of the course, namely:
Chronology assessment (25% final grade)
Time series assessment (25% final grade)
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.uva.nl/plagiarism
Deadlines for assessed components
The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.