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UCC1: New Course Transmittal FormDepartment Name and Number
Recommended SCNS Course Identi�cation
Transcript Title (please limit to 21 characters)
Pre�x Level Course Number Lab Code
Amount of Credit
Repeatable Credit
Contact Hour: Base or Headcount
Course Description (50 words or less)
Prerequisites Co-requisites
Degree Type (mark all that apply) Baccalaureate Graduate Other
Introductory Intermediate Advanced
Department Contact
College Contact
Name
Phone Email
Name
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Rev. 10/10
Rationale and place in curriculum
Category of Instruction
E�ective Term and Year Rotating Topic yes no
S/U Only yes no
yes no If yes, total repeatable credit allowed
Variable Credit yes no If yes, minimum and maximum credits per semester
Professional
Full Course Title
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 1
Global Agroecosystems ALS 5XXX (This course is also taught at the undergraduate level as ALS 4XXX)
INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Diane Rowland, Associate Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy Department, 3105 McCarty Hall-B, P.O. Box 110500, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500; [email protected]
Dr. George Hochmuth, Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Soil and Water Science Department, G175 McCarty Hall-A, P.O. Box 110290, Gainesville, FL 32611-0290; [email protected]
Dr. Jerry Bennett, Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy Department, 3105 McCarty Hall-B, P.O. Box 110500, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500; [email protected]
CONTACT: Dr. Diane Rowland Office Location: G062 McCarty Hall-D E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 229-869-2952 Fax: 352-392-1840 COURSE OFFERRED: Every Fall Semester, resident and distance education TIMES: MWF Period 4 (10:40 am – 11:30 am) CREDIT HOURS: 3 OFFICE HOURS: 11:30-12:30 MWF following class or by appointment PREREQUISITES Introduction to Soils (SWS 3022), Soils for Environmental Professionals (SWS 5050), Applied Field Crop Production (AGR 4214C), and Agricultural Ecology (ALS 3153), or equivalents, or approval by the instructors. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on the principles of agroecology and presentation of topics that integrate ecological with agricultural principles to optimize resource conservation, productivity, societal benefit, and profitability. COURSE OVERVIEW: There is a need for students trained broadly in agriculture, including agriculture’s role in ecology as farming systems become more complex. This context is found in the “triple bottom line” of economics, environment, and society. This course will emphasize greater understanding of this triple bottom line in agricultural production in an ecosystem context, often termed agroecology. It will focus on the global trends of increasing population and land-use pressure; diminishing soil, water, nutrient, and energy resources; concern over
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 2
the negative impacts of agricultural production on the environment; and increasing awareness of the potential ecosystem service benefits from agriculture. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The overall objectives of the course are to provide students with: 1) understanding of the complex interactions that occur in agroecosystems; and 2) the ability to apply this knowledge to the design and management of sustainable agricultural production systems.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Following this course, students are expected to: 1. Describe and understand global agricultural production systems and their role in
facing the challenge of increasing global population. 2. Evaluate and discuss agricultural production issues from environmental, economic,
and societal perspectives. 3. Analyze research literature dealing with the sustainability of agriculture. 4. Synthesize and apply the knowledge gained in this course to assess emerging
agricultural production systems. 5. Use principles learned in this course to synthesize and evaluate a relevant and timely
global issue in agroecology and effectively communicate in video format. CLASS FORMAT Three 50-minute periods per week. Delivery will be synchronous and asynchronous through videotaped classroom lectures. TEXTBOOK None required. Readings will be assigned for each module of the course. The following textbooks are useful references for the course: Altieri, M.A. 1995. Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture, 2nd edition.
Westview Press, Boulder Colorado. Bohlen, P.J., and G. House. 2010. Sustainable Agroecosystem Management: Integrating
Ecology, Economics, and Society. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Jackson, L.E. 1997. Ecology in Agriculture. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. Scherr, S.J., and J.A. McNeely (eds.). 2007. Farming with Nature: The Science and
Practice of Ecoagriculture. Island Press, Washington, DC. Sinclair, T.R., and A. Weiss. 2010. Principles of Ecology in Plant Production, 2nd edition.
CAB International. 186 pp. Sinclair, T.R., and C.J. Sinclair. 2010. Bread, Beer and the Seeds of
Change: Agriculture’s Imprint on World History. CAB International. 288 pp. Vandermeer, J.H. 2010. The Ecology of Agroecosystems. Jones & Bartlett Learning,
Sudbury, MA. Wojtkowski, P.A. 2006. Introduction to Agroecology: Principles and Practices.
Psychology Press, Binghamton, NY.
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 3
ASSIGNED READINGS Ausubel, J.H., I. Wernick, and P.E. Waggoner. 2012. Peak farmland and the prospect for
land sparing. http://phe.rockefeller.edu/docs/PDR.SUPP%20Final%20Paper.pdf Deepak, K.R., N. Ramankutty, N.D. Mueller, P.C. West, and J.A Foley. 2012. Recent
patterns of crop yield growth and stagnation. Nature Communications. 3:1293. Doi:10.1038/ncomms2296.
Foley, J.A., N. Ramankutty, K.A. Brauman, E.S. Cassidy, J.S. Gerber, M. Johnston, N.D. Mueller, C. O'Connell, D.K. Ray, P.C. West, C. Balzer, E.M. Bennett, S.R. Carpenter, J. Hill, C. Monfreda, S. Polasky, J. Rockstrom, J. Sheehan, S. Siebert, D. Tilman and D.P.M. Zaks. 2011. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 478:337-342.
Jansen, H.H., P.E. Fixen, A.J. Franzleubbers, J. Hattey, R.C. Izaurralde, Q.M. Ketterlings, D.A. Lobb, and W.H. Schlessinger. 2011. Global prospects rooted in soil science. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75:1-8.
Nickerson, C., R. Ebel, A. Borchers, and F. Carriazo. 2011. Major Uses of Land in the United States, 2007, EIB-89, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/188404/eib89_2_.pdf
Pretty, J.N. 1997. The sustainable intensification of agriculture. Natural Resources Forum 21(4): 247-256.
Sutton M.A., A. Bleeker, C.M. Howard, M. Bekunda, B. Grizzetti, W. de Vries, H.J.M. van Grinsven, Y.P. Abrol, T.K. Adhya, G. Billen, E.A. Davidson, A. Datta, R. Diaz, J.W. Erisman, X.J. Liu, O. Oenema, C. Palm, N. Raghuram, S. Reis, R.W. Scholz, T. Sims, H. Westhoek & F.S. Zhang., with contributions from S. Ayyappan, A.F. Bouwman, M. Bustamante, D. Fowler, J.N. Galloway, M.E. Gavito, J. Garnier, S. Greenwood, D.T. Hellums, M. Holland, C. Hoysall, V.J. Jaramillo, Z. Klimont, J.P. Ometto, H. Pathak, V. Plocq Fichelet, D. Powlson, K. Ramakrishna, A. Roy, K. Sanders, C. Sharma, B. Singh, U. Singh, X.Y. Yan & Y. Zhang. 2013. Our Nutrient World: The challenge to produce more food and energy with less pollution. Global Overview of Nutrient Management. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh on behalf of the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management and the International Nitrogen Initiative.
Tainter, J.A. 2006. Archeology of overshoot and collapse. Annu. Rev. Anthropol. 35:59–74.
SPECIAL SOFTWARE None required E-LEARNING E-learning Sakai. The entire course will be managed through e-learning using Sakai. This is a fully on-line course delivered in E-Learning Sakai, the centrally-supported course management system at UF. Sakai is the on-line source for the majority of your learning resources and assignments in this course. For a tutorial regarding E-Learning Sakai functionality, go to https://lss.at.ufl.edu/sakai-training/student_index.shtml. Students enrolled in the course should login to Sakai on the first day of the course at: http://lss.at.ufl.edu. You will use your Gatorlink name and password to login to Sakai.
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 4
All PowerPoint presentations that support the lectures will be posted within the “Lessons” section of Sakai, as well as additional readings on the lecture topics. Threads of discussion on assigned topics and readings will be posted to the “Discussion” section of Sakai and all students will be expected to contribute to the discussions. Course announcements, general course information and all course communications will also be delivered within Sakai. EVALUATION OF STUDENTS The class is graded on the point scale, totaling 125 points. Class participation will be 25 points towards the final grade and will be comprised of discussions of assigned scientific readings on advanced topics. There will be two exams and a final exam, each accounting for 25 points. All students will complete exams online through Sakai. On exams, graduate students will answer in-depth discussion questions beyond those expected of the undergraduate students. For an additional 25 points, graduate students will complete a literature research project involving identification of a current issue in agroecology, review of the pertinent research, description of innovative strategies for its mitigation, and identification of gaps in the science. Students will present their projects in a You-Tube video format posted to the e-learning site for the class. The research project deadline is 11/04/13. Make-up exams will be approved only due to illness or extreme family needs, or important excused activities required by another class. Make-up exams must be approved prior to the regularly scheduled exam, and must be made-up within two class periods. If you are unable to take the exam due to illness, contact the instructor prior to the exam to confirm your absence.
GRADING : We will use the following grading for the course:
• A 117-125 points • A- 112-116 points • B+ 108-111 points • B 103-107 points • B- 100-102 points • C+ 96-99 points • C 91-95 points • C- 87-90 points • D+ 83-86 points • D 79-82 points • D- 75-78 points • E <75 points
Grades and Grade Points Effective May 11, 2009 - Summer A http://registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/regulationgrades.html
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 5
Letter Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- E WF I NG S-U
Grade Points 4.0 3.67 3.33 3.0 2.67 2.33 2.0 1.67 1.33 1.0 .67 0 0 0 0 0
For information on current UF policies for assigning grade points, see https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE We expect that all students will participate in the class by actively engaging in on-line discussions which will comprise 25 points of the final course grade. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS: It will be expected that students will take leadership in discussions providing guidance and insight to other students. Readings will be assigned that will supplement class lecture and discussion material. Students are expected to read the materials. Discussions and some exam questions will come from the reading material. We expect a higher level of synthesis and evaluation of these materials beyond just description. This will involve the application of principles within the literature to local/national/global issues. Specific expectations are outlined in the Evaluation of Students section of the syllabus. TOPICAL OUTLINE Week in semester
Topic
1 Course introduction and student expectations. Agroecology defined; what is an “agroecosystem”? How have demands on the world’s farms changed? Ancient civilizations and the theory of “overshoot and collapse”
2 The major crops that feed the world; global crop distribution; major U.S. crop imports and exports
3 The challenge of feeding an increasing global population; declining rates of yield increases; ecological impacts, biological limits to crop production; variety development and other technologies that allow us to produce more with less
4 The impact of soil on ecosystem productivity; loss of arable land to urbanization; recent advances in soil, water, and nutrient conservation; the interaction of agriculture and natural ecosystems
5 Global water crisis: the water wars are here! Global water budget; history of water rights; paying farmers not to irrigate (GA/FL/AL);
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 6
Texas groundwater and the rule of capture; quantifying crop water use for policymakers; Ogallala crisis; to irrigate or not to irrigate? defining drought tolerance and water productivity; technologies for reducing irrigation rates
Exam I 09/23/13
6 Water quality; history of environmental regulations; why water quality matters to crops; environmental issues related to water quality; N, P, pesticides and the major pollutants; Best Management Practices
7 Nutrient use efficiency in major world food crops; global nutrient budgets at various scales; peak phosphorus
8 Physiology of weed herbicide resistance: genes to whole plant; the evolution of superweeds; how crops fight back
9 Physiology of disease tolerance/resistance; abiotic/biotic stress tolerance in crop; impacts of climate change on exacerbation of stress
During the following weeks students will be expected to read and discuss current scientific literature related to each of the topics below.
10 Putting it all together: Using research to analyze, evaluate, and contrast cropping systems
Industrialized farming; the need for big ag in meeting the food challenge in 2050; changing the face of rural America; the role of small farms in food production
The morphing face of organics: the original idea and philosophy; the heavy hand of regulation; the benefits and problems; the assumptions; the niches; food quality differences and the effects of post-harvest handling; environmental impact (assumed and debunked)
Exam II 10/28/13
11 Putting it all together: Using research to analyze, evaluate, and contrast cropping systems
Building a new beast: hybrid systems using low input and intensive techniques together; picking and choosing suitable techniques; animal/crop integrated systems; sod-based rotation with grazing
The war between locavores and globavores; the balance sheet of costs
12 Can the food production system meet the challenges?
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 7
Food safety; sources of contamination on and off the farm
Food security; globalization of our food sources; invasives (plants, diseases, insects)
13 Can the food production system meet the challenges?
Energy for farms; on-farm fuel production; energy costs of different agricultural systems; the debate between growing food and fuel on global hunger
14 Economics and society
Relevance of the triple bottom line; economics, environment, and society; increasing costs of inputs; global competition in food production and food demand
15 Synthesizing and reflecting on the principles of agroecology
Research and science: what role does science play? what are the costs and who’s going to pay for the research? the direction of sustainable intensification
16 Communicating the principles of agroecology
Communication: communicating science to the public; why can’t scientists talk about science?; support of agricultural science and why it’s important
Final exam 12/09/13
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE AND DEMEANOR: Students are expected to arrive for class on time since lectures will begin promptly at the beginning of the period. Cell phones must be turned off during class. ABSENCES AND MAKE-UP WORK Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments and other work are consistent with university policies that can be found at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx Academic Honesty, Software Use, Campus Helping Resources, Services for Students with Disabilities
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As a student at the University of Florida, you have committed yourself to uphold the Honor Code, which includes the following pledge: “We, the members of the University of
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 8
Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.” You are expected to exhibit behavior consistent with this commitment to the UF academic community, and on all work submitted for credit at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." It is assumed that you will complete all work independently in each course unless the instructor provides explicit permission for you to collaborate on course tasks (e.g. assignments, papers, quizzes, exams). Furthermore, as part of your obligation to uphold the Honor Code, you should report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. It is your individual responsibility to know and comply with all university policies and procedures regarding academic integrity and the Student Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code at the University of Florida will not be tolerated. Violations will be reported to the Dean of Students Office for consideration of disciplinary action. For more information regarding the Student Honor Code, please see: http://www.dso.ufl.edu/SCCR/honorcodes/honorcode.php. SOFTWARE USE: All faculty, staff and students of the university are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against university policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. CAMPUS HELPING RESOURCES: Students experiencing crises or personal problems that interfere with their general well-being are encouraged to utilize the university’s counseling resources. The Counseling & Wellness Center provides confidential counseling services at no cost for currently enrolled students. Resources are available on campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career or academic goals, which interfere with their academic performance.
University Counseling & Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Road, 352-392-1575, www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/
Counseling Services Groups and Workshops Outreach and Consultation Self-Help Library Training Programs Community Provider Database
Career Resource Center, First Floor JWRU, 392-1601, www.crc.ufl.edu/\ SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: The Disability Resource Center coordinates the needed accommodations of students with disabilities. This includes registering disabilities, recommending academic accommodations within the classroom, accessing special adaptive computer equipment,
ALS Global Agroecosystems - Draft 9
providing interpretation services and mediating faculty-student disability related issues. Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. 0001 Reid Hall, 352-392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ STUDENT COMPLAINTS ON DISTANCE LEARNING Each online distance learning program has a process for, and will make every attempt to resolve, student complaints within its academic and administrative departments at the program level. See http://distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints for more details.
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 1
Global Agroecosystems ALS 4XXX (This course is also taught at the graduate level as ALS 5XXX)
INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Diane Rowland, Associate Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy Department, 3105 McCarty Hall-B, P.O. Box 110500, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500; [email protected]
Dr. George Hochmuth, Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Soil and Water Science Department, G175 McCarty Hall-A, P.O. Box 110290, Gainesville, FL 32611-0290; [email protected]
Dr. Jerry Bennett, Professor, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy Department, 3105 McCarty Hall-B, P.O. Box 110500, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500; [email protected]
CONTACT: Dr. Diane Rowland Office Location: G062 McCarty Hall-D E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 229-869-2952 Fax: 352-392-1840 COURSE OFFERRED: Every Fall Semester, resident and distance education TIMES: MWF Period 4 (10:40 am – 11:30 am) CREDIT HOURS: 3 OFFICE HOURS: 11:30-12:30 MWF following class or by appointment PREREQUISITES Introduction to Soils (SWS 3022), Applied Field Crop Production (AGR 4214C), and Agricultural Ecology (ALS 3153), or equivalents, or approval by the instructors. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on the principles of agroecology and presentation of topics that integrate ecological with agricultural principles to optimize resource conservation, productivity, societal benefit, and profitability. COURSE OVERVIEW: There is a need for students trained broadly in agriculture, including agriculture’s role in ecology as farming systems become more complex. This context is found in the “triple bottom line” of economics, environment, and society. This course will emphasize greater understanding of this triple bottom line in agricultural production in an ecosystem context, often termed agroecology. It will focus on the global trends of increasing population and land-use pressure; diminishing soil, water, nutrient, and energy resources; concern over the negative impacts of agricultural production on the
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 2
environment; and increasing awareness of the potential ecosystem service benefits from agriculture. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The overall objectives of the course are to provide students with: 1) understanding of the complex interactions that occur in agroecosystems; and 2) the ability to apply this knowledge to the design and management of sustainable agricultural production systems.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Following this course, students are expected to: 1. Describe and understand global agricultural production systems. 2. Explain and provide examples of agricultural production issues from environmental,
economic, and societal perspectives. 3. Apply the knowledge gained in this course to identify emerging agricultural
production systems. CLASS FORMAT Three 50-minute periods per week. Delivery will be synchronous and asynchronous through videotaped classroom lectures. TEXTBOOK None required. Readings will be assigned for each module of the course. The following textbooks are useful references for the course: Altieri, M.A. 1995. Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture, 2nd edition.
Westview Press, Boulder Colorado. Bohlen, P.J., and G. House. 2010. Sustainable Agroecosystem Management:
Integrating Ecology, Economics, and Society. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Jackson, L.E. 1997. Ecology in Agriculture. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. Scherr, S.J., and J.A. McNeely (eds.). 2007. Farming with Nature: The Science and
Practice of Ecoagriculture. Island Press, Washington, DC. Sinclair, T.R., and A. Weiss. 2010. Principles of Ecology in Plant Production, 2nd
edition. CAB International. 186 pp. Sinclair, T.R., and C.J. Sinclair. 2010. Bread, Beer and the Seeds of
Change: Agriculture’s Imprint on World History. CAB International. 288 pp. Vandermeer, J.H. 2010. The Ecology of Agroecosystems. Jones & Bartlett Learning,
Sudbury, MA. Wojtkowski, P.A. 2006. Introduction to Agroecology: Principles and Practices.
Psychology Press, Binghamton, NY. ASSIGNED READINGS Foley, J.A., N. Ramankutty, K.A. Brauman, E.S. Cassidy, J.S. Gerber, M. Johnston,
N.D. Mueller, C. O'Connell, D.K. Ray, P.C. West, C. Balzer, E.M. Bennett, S.R. Carpenter, J. Hill, C. Monfreda, S. Polasky, J. Rockstrom, J. Sheehan, S.
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 3
Siebert, D. Tilman and D.P.M. Zaks. 2011. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature. 478:337-342.
Jansen, H.H., P.E. Fixen, A.J. Franzleubbers, J. Hattey, R.C. Izaurralde, Q.M. Ketterlings, D.A. Lobb, and W.H. Schlessinger. 2011. Global prospects rooted in soil science. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75:1-8.
Pretty, J.N. 1997. The sustainable intensification of agriculture. Natural Resources Forum 21(4): 247-256.
SPECIAL SOFTWARE None required E-LEARNING E-learning Sakai. The entire course will be managed through e-learning using Sakai. This is a fully on-line course delivered in E-Learning Sakai, the centrally-supported course management system at UF. Sakai is the on-line source for the majority of your learning resources and assignments in this course. For a tutorial regarding E-Learning Sakai functionality, go to https://lss.at.ufl.edu/sakai-training/student_index.shtml. Students enrolled in the course should login to Sakai on the first day of the course at: http://lss.at.ufl.edu. You will use your Gatorlink name and password to login to Sakai. All PowerPoint presentations that support the lectures will be posted within the “Lessons” section of Sakai, as well as additional readings on the lecture topics. Threads of discussion on assigned topics and readings will be posted to the “Discussion” section of Sakai and all students will be expected to contribute to the discussions. Course announcements, general course information and all course communications will also be delivered within Sakai. EVALUATION OF STUDENTS The class is graded on the point scale, totaling 100 points. Class participation will be 25 points towards the final grade and will be comprised of discussions of assigned scientific readings on advanced topics. There will be two exams and a final exam, each accounting for 25 points. All students will complete exams online through Sakai. Note: For an additional 25 points, graduate students will complete a literature research project involving identification of a current issue in agroecology, review of the pertinent research, description of innovative strategies for its mitigation, and identification of gaps in the science. Graduate students will present their projects in a You-Tube video format posted to the e-learning site for the class. Make-up exams will be approved only due to illness or extreme family needs, or important excused activities required by another class. Make-up exams must be approved prior to the regularly scheduled exam, and must be made-up within two class periods. If you are unable to take the exam due to illness, contact the instructor prior to the exam to confirm your absence.
GRADING : We will use the following grading for the course:
• A 94 – 100 points
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 4
• A- 90 – 93 points • B+ 87 – 89 points • B 83 – 86 points • B- 80 – 82 points • C+ 77 – 79 points • C 73 – 76 points • C- 70 – 72 points • D+ 67 – 69 points • D 63 – 66 points • D- 60 – 62 points • E < 60 points
Grades and Grade Points Effective May 11, 2009 - Summer A http://registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/regulationgrades.html
Letter Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- E WF I NG S-U
Grade Points 4.0 3.67 3.33 3.0 2.67 2.33 2.0 1.67 1.33 1.0 .67 0 0 0 0 0
For information on current UF policies for assigning grade points, see https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE We expect that all students will participate in the class by actively engaging in on-line discussions which will comprise 25 points of the final course grade. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS: Readings will be assigned that will supplement class lecture and discussion material. Students are expected to read the materials. Discussions and some exam questions will come from the reading material. Specific expectations are outlined in the Evaluation of Students section of the syllabus. TOPICAL OUTLINE Week in semester
Topic
1 Course introduction and student expectations. Agroecology defined; what is an “agroecosystem”? How have demands on the world’s farms changed? Ancient civilizations and the theory of “overshoot and collapse”
2 The major crops that feed the world; global crop distribution; major U.S. crop imports and exports
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 5
3 The challenge of feeding an increasing global population; declining rates of yield increases; ecological impacts, biological limits to crop production; variety development and other technologies that allow us to produce more with less
4 The impact of soil on ecosystem productivity; loss of arable land to urbanization; recent advances in soil, water, and nutrient conservation; the interaction of agriculture and natural ecosystems
5 Global water crisis: the water wars are here! Global water budget; history of water rights; paying farmers not to irrigate (GA/FL/AL); Texas groundwater and the rule of capture; quantifying crop water use for policymakers; Ogallala crisis; to irrigate or not to irrigate? defining drought tolerance and water productivity; technologies for reducing irrigation rates
Exam I 09/23/13
6 Water quality; history of environmental regulations; why water quality matters to crops; environmental issues related to water quality; N, P, pesticides and the major pollutants; Best Management Practices
7 Nutrient use efficiency in major world food crops; global nutrient budgets at various scales; peak phosphorus
8 Physiology of weed herbicide resistance: genes to whole plant; the evolution of superweeds; how crops fight back
9 Physiology of disease tolerance/resistance; abiotic/biotic stress tolerance in crop; impacts of climate change on exacerbation of stress
During the following weeks students will be expected to read and discuss current scientific literature related to each of the topics below.
10 Putting it all together: Using research to analyze, evaluate, and contrast cropping systems
Industrialized farming; the need for big ag in meeting the food challenge in 2050; changing the face of rural America; the role of small farms in food production
The morphing face of organics: the original idea and philosophy; the heavy hand of regulation; the benefits and problems; the assumptions; the niches; food quality differences and the effects of post-harvest handling; environmental impact (assumed and debunked)
Exam II 10/28/13
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 6
11 Putting it all together: Using research to analyze, evaluate, and contrast cropping systems
Building a new beast: hybrid systems using low input and intensive techniques together; picking and choosing suitable techniques; animal/crop integrated systems; sod-based rotation with grazing
The war between locavores and globavores; the balance sheet of costs
12 Can the food production system meet the challenges?
Food safety; sources of contamination on and off the farm
Food security; globalization of our food sources; invasives (plants, diseases, insects)
13 Can the food production system meet the challenges?
Energy for farms; on-farm fuel production; energy costs of different agricultural systems; the debate between growing food and fuel on global hunger
14 Economics and society
Relevance of the triple bottom line; economics, environment, and society; increasing costs of inputs; global competition in food production and food demand
15 Synthesizing and reflecting on the principles of agroecology
Research and science: what role does science play? what are the costs and who’s going to pay for the research? the direction of sustainable intensification
16 Communicating the principles of agroecology
Communication: communicating science to the public; why can’t scientists talk about science?; support of agricultural science and why it’s important
Final exam 12/09/13
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE AND DEMEANOR: Students are expected to arrive for class on time since lectures will begin promptly at the beginning of the period. Cell phones must be turned off during class. ABSENCES AND MAKE-UP WORK
ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 7
Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments and other work are consistent with university policies that can be found at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx Academic Honesty, Software Use, Campus Helping Resources, Services for Students with Disabilities
ACADEMIC HONESTY
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ALS Global Agroecosystems- Draft 8
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Sisk,Michael J
From: Bennett, Jerry MSent: Friday, April 19, 2013 10:15 AMTo: Chakraborty,Debolina; Sisk,Michael JCc: Hochmuth,George J,II; Rowland,Diane LSubject: Email from Dr. Capinera that needs to be included with our course submission
Debolina and Mike, The following email request from Dr. Quesenberry, and the response from Dr. Capinera will need to be included with our course submission. Jerry M. Bennett Professor and Graduate Coordinator Agronomy Department 3105G McCarty Hall B University of Florida P.O. Box 110500 Gainesville, FL 32611-0500 Phone: 352-294-1591 Email: [email protected] ___________________________________________________________ From: Capinera,John Lowell Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 3:59 PM To: Quesenberry,Kenneth H Cc: Weeks,Jennifer Ashley; McSorley, Robert Subject: Re: syllabi Dear Ken: following is a response to your request for comment regarding the proposed course in agroecology. Indeed, there are some elements that overlap with the existing Agricultural Ecology course, ALS 3153/5156. Specifically, there is overlap in weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6. ALS 3153/5156 considers the ecological impacts of agriculture on the environment with particular emphasis on soils and water (salinization of soils, water shortages, inefficient water use, etc.). There is extensive coverage of the impending global water crisis and use the situation with the Ogallala Aquifer as the case study. Students conduct exercises so they can actually calculate the approximate volume of the aquifer and when the aquifer will run out based on current use rates. Also considered is soil salinization and use the Aral Sea as a case study, and the role of agriculture in eutrophication and the environmental issues surrounding that. On the other hand, the ALS course does not consider global distributions of crops, and crop imports/exports, nutrient use by individual crops, or physiology of herbicide and disease resistance. ALS does consider basic ecological principles (succession, competition, facilitation growth models) as they relate of agriculture, and of course pests and IPM, which apparently are not considered in this proposed course. The discussions in the last few weeks of agroecology also diverge. Overall, students who take agricultural ecology before agroecology will get some reinforcement as well as new information. I do not consider the overlap to be a problem, but encourage your instructors to check with Jennifer Weeks about the specific examples used in weeks 3‐6 so students do not complain about 'already hearing these stories'. I hope this helps,
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John L. Capinera Professor and Chairman Entomology and Nematology From: <Quesenberry>, Kenneth H <[email protected]> Date: Friday, March 22, 2013 12:24 PM To: John Capinera <[email protected]> Cc: "Bennett, Jerry M" <[email protected]>, "Rowland,Diane L" <[email protected]> Subject: FW: syllabi John, These attached syllabi for a proposed dual listed (undergraduate/graduate) course in agroecology are forwarded for your department to review for potential conflicts with any of your classes. Drs. Bennett and Rowland asked me to point out that the Agroecology course (formerly taught by Dr. McSorley) in your department is listed as a prerequisite for these courses and they have attempted to avoid content overlap. This is intended to be the foundation course for the joint SWS/Agronomy Agroecology Masters concentration. I would appreciate a formal response from you that I can include as part of the new course transmittal form submission process. Thank you. Kenneth H. Quesenberry Interim Chair & Professor Emeritus Forage & Turf Breeding Department of Agronomy University of Florida P.O. Box 110500, 3105 McCarty Hall Gainesville, FL 32611-0500 Office 352-392-1811 FAX 352-392-6480 Cell 352-682-9231 2013 ASA–CSSA–SSSA International Annual Meetings "Water, Food, and Energy & Innovation for a Sustainable World" Make plans for Tampa, FL on 3-6 Nov. 2013
April 18, 2013
Dear CALS Curriculum Committee,
This proposed course is a foundational course for the Agroecology graduate concentration which is
delivered by the Agronomy and Soil and Water Science Departments. The instructors of the proposed
course are from both departments as well.
There is a need for students broadly trained in agriculture, including agriculture’s role in ecology, as
farming systems become more complex. The modern students, including those studying crop
production practices, are interested in the broader context in which farm owners must operate. The
context is found in the triple bottom line of economics, environment, and society. This course will
emphasize greater understanding of agricultural production in an ecosystem context, often termed
agroecology. This course will fill a critical need for presentation of these issues in a global context. The
course will be a required course for the Agroecology concentration and will be attractive to other
graduate and undergraduate students as an elective.
This course is offered as both an undergraduate and graduate course. The difference in rigor and
expectations between the two courses include the following additional course requirements for
graduate students:
additional assigned readings of research literature dealing with sustainability of agriculture;
present a synthesis and evaluation of a current issue in agroecology through a video
presentation;
additional essay questions on each exam.
The syllabi for both the undergraduate and graduate courses are attached and have been reviewed and
approved by the curriculum committees in both the Agronomy and Soil and Water Science departments.
Sincerely,
Jerry Bennett
Graduate Coordinator, Agronomy Department
Andrew Ogram
Graduate Coordinator, Soil and Water Science Department
Diane Rowland
Undergraduate Coordinator, Agronomy Department
James Bonczek
Undergraduate Coordinator, Soil and Water Science Department