Photosynthesis and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Photosynthesis and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Classroom/ Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity that shows how to measure the rate of photosynthesis and its changes under different conditions including high concentrations of carbon dioxide, a potential contributor to climate change. Students will be able to explore, measure, and determine the rate at which photosynthesis occurs under one […]

Photosynthesis Under Variable Environmental Conditions

Photosynthesis Under Variable Environmental Conditions Classroom/Laboratory Activity A simple simulator that allows users to change a range of variables such as the color of light, brightness of light, and carbon dioxide concentration, and then note their impact on the photosynthetic efficiency of a plant. Use this tool to help your students find answers to: What […]

Plant Response to Climate related Temperature and Water Stress

Plant Response to Climate related Temperature and Water Stress Teaching Module This teaching module allows students to explore the role of stomata in regulating leaf temperature and water loss from plants under different environmental and climatic conditions. Students will observe the nature and distribution of stomata of plants growing under varying temperature conditions and use […]

Plant Responses to Climate Related Abiotic Stress

Plant Responses to Climate Related Abiotic Stress Video A video lecture that gives an overview of how vegetation responds to climate change in terms of phenotypic plasticity, range shifts, phenology, and population changes. Students will learn about plant responses to increased CO2 levels, higher global temperatures and changing precipitation patterns by discussing their impacts on […]

Adaptation or Plasticity?

Adaptation or Plasticity? Reading An article on the difference between evolutionary adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. This article by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education highlights various factors, such as natural selection and developmental changes amongst others, which play a role in determining how organisms respond to a […]

Metabolic Rates and Global Warming

Metabolic Rates and Global Warming Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to measure the metabolic rate in living organisms and to understand the possible effects of rising temperatures on metabolic rate of these organisms. This activity demonstrates how metabolic activity changes in ectotherms (goldfish) and endotherms (common mouse) at different temperatures. Students will learn how to […]

Global Warming and Terrestrial Metabolism of Ectotherms

Global Warming and Terrestrial Metabolism of Ectotherms Reading An article on the effect of rising temperatures on the metabolism of various terrestrial ectotherms. The article by Dillon et al published in Nature describes the relationship between climate change and metabolic rate globally. Further, it describes the effects of changing metabolic rates on organisms in temperate […]

Plant Pathogenesis

Plant Pathogenesis Reading A review article that describes the spread of disease in plants due to climate change. This article in the African Journal of Biotechnology discusses how rising temperatures and changing concentrations of carbon dioxide can affect pathogenesis in plants. Students will learn how climate change affects the developmental stages of pathogens, the dispersal […]

Climate Change and the Decline of Insect Population

Climate Change and the Decline of Insect Population Reading A short article that describes the decline of insect population due to climate change. This article by the Entomological Society of America focuses on the importance of insects in food webs and how climate change affects their distribution. Students will learn how a changing climate generally […]

Evolutionary Biology: Where Do We Go Now?

Evolutionary Biology: Where Do We Go Now? Video A video micro-lecture that describes different ways in which climate change affects behaviour, morphology, and physiology of organisms. This video lecture by Dr. George Gilchrist, Professor of Biology at the College of William and Mary, on evolutionary adaptation highlights the difference between environmental adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, […]