University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Catherine Badgley

Catherine Badgley

Contact information

  • University of Michigan
    Museum of Paleontology
    1109 Geddes Rd.
    Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1079

    Phone: 734-763-6448
    Fax: 734-936-1380
  • Email: cbadgley@umich.edu

EEB 318 Food, Land and Society:

The course is an introduction to the modern food system. Subjects include the ecology of agricultural ecosystems, the cultural and environmental history of food production, the current ecological and socio-economic crises in agriculture, especially as they affect biodiversity and the sustainability of rural communities, and the global food system. The course integrates scientific, socio-economic, and historical dimensions of modern agriculture and the food system. The course applies principles of ecology to agricultural systems, surveys diverse components of the current food system, evaluates sustainable alternatives to modern industrial agricultural practices, and examines the interconnections between agriculture in the rich countries and rural livelihoods in the global south. The course is taught through lectures, discussions, and field trips to local farms and food-related organizations.

The course emphasizes:

  1. principles of ecology as they apply to agricultural ecosystems and the effects of agricultural activities on native ecosystems
  2. local agricultural ecosystems through visits to farms in southern Michigan
  3. the history of agricultural practices and the ecological, social, and economic consequences of modern industrial agriculture
  4. principles of sustainable agriculture
  5. rural and urban dimensions of agriculture

In addition to regular class meetings, three full-day weekend field trips are required parts of the course. Assignments include three short (4-5 page) essays, a 15-20 page term paper with oral report to class, and leading a discussion.

EEB 319 Food, Land and Society:

The course integrates scientific, socio-economic, and historical dimensions of modern agriculture and the food system. It introduces principles of ecology as they apply to agriculture, surveys diverse components of the current food system, and evaluates sustainable alternatives to modern industrial agricultural practices. Through lectures, discussions, and field trips to local farms and farm-related organizations, the course emphasizes (1) principles of ecology as they apply to agricultural ecosystems and the effects of agricultural activities on native ecosystems; (2) an introduction to local agricultural ecosystems through visits to farms in southern Michigan; (3) the history of agricultural practices and the ecological, social, and economic consequences of modern industrial agriculture; (4) principles of sustainable agriculture; and (5) rural and urban dimensions of agriculture.

EEB 445 Biogeography:

This course covers ecological and evolutionary aspects of geography of populations, communities, and lineages. The course investigates the physical and biological processes shaping geographic patterns of species richness, community structure, and ecosystems over the earth and at regional and local scales, as well as the geographic structure of populations and species. Historical dimensions of these topics include dispersal and vicariance in relation to speciation, extinction, and earth history.