University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Teaching

NRE 517/EHS 580: Conservation Biology: The world is in a period of environmental change that is unprecedented in the history of human life. This course examines the causes and consequences of one of the most prominent forms of change in the modern era - loss of biological diversity and its impacts on the ecological functions of natural ecosystems. Unlike many conservation biology courses, this class makes no false assumption that biodiversity has inherent value, or is universally 'good' for society. Rather, our goals are to (i) detail the scientific evidence for why Earth's biological resources are being depleted, (ii) outline how these changes impact ecosystems and the services they provide to society, (iii) describe the social and economic trade-offs we are likely to face as a result of biodiversity loss, and (iv) understand current management strategies that are used to curb changes in our planet's biological resources.

NRE 504: Ecosystem Services: This course will evaluate the scientific, economic, and socio-political basis for ecosystem services. Ecosystem services - sometimes referred to as Earth's "natural capital" - represent the sum of all goods and services that natural and managed ecosystems provide to humanity. These services include direct provisioning of goods like food, wood, and freshwater, regulating services such as climate regulation or pest and disease control, and cultural services such as recreation and tourism. The idea that ecosystems have natural capital has become increasingly prominent over the past decade as scientists, economists, and politicians have considered how to account for the values of ecosystems that are not included in traditional economic markets. This class will explore the ways in which ecosystem services are measured and related to basic ecological processes, how those services are valued and monetized by society, and how services are managed and encouraged by policy and law. Theoretical and practical concepts will be reinforced by student-led case studies that provide 'real-world' examples of ecosystem services being valued, including payment for ecosystem services projects, biodiversity offsets, certification schemes, and REDD+.