Course Description

The following topics will be covered:

- Present climate and temperature measurements

- Models of global climatic change

· Holocene vegetation and climate history

· Relation between forest limits and climate

· Phenology as an indicator of climatic change

· Ecological changes in alpine areas as a result of climatic change

· Methods in biodiversity research

· Measurement of biodiversity

· Variation in alpine biodiversity in relation to environmental variables

· Gradients in alpine plant diversity

· Changes in species richness and distribution patterns as a result recent of climatic change

Assessment Methods

Group project (report), 25%; individual, written 4-hour final examination 75%

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean