Syllabus
Geog 410 Modeling of Environmental Systems
Fall 2008
Instructor: Dr. Conghe Song (email: csong@email.unc.edu, phone: 843-4764)
Class: MWF 10:00-10:50am @ 322 Saunders Hall
Instructor’s Office hours: MWF 11:00-12:00pm, 310 Saunders Hall, other times by appointment only
Course Description: The environment is a dynamic and
living system in which the interactions of numerous biological, biophysical and
biogeochemical processes determine the rate and the direction of change. A
comprehensive understanding of the past and current status of the environment
and prediction for its status in the future cannot be achieved without the help
of computer-based models. On the one hand, computer-based models can integrate
natural history, physiological, and ecological information that has been
gathered over many years by many people; on the other hand, computer-based
models can simulate the environment in various hypothetical conditions (e.g. a
common hypothetical condition in global climate change is doubling the CO2
concentration in the atmosphere). Geog 410 takes a system’s view of the
environment, and introduces the fundamental concepts and approaches in modeling
of environmental systems. Essentially all environmental processes are driven by
energy associated with flow of matter (e.g. water and nutrients). The course
will be focused on modeling the dynamics of energy and matter flow through the
environment, including the energy and matter flow in the natural environment and
that with human disturbance. Throughout the course, we will use the Matlab as
the tool to assist us to model the environmental systems. The course is
composed of three components: instructor lectures, hands-on experience in using
Matlab to model the environmental systems and in class discussions. The
objectives of the course include: (1) understanding of the fundamental
principles how environmental systems work, (2) understanding of systems
thinking, and (3) proficient use of Matlab in solving problems of similar
nature in the future.
Text Book: Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems,
Michael L. Deaton and James J. Winebrake, Springer,
Midterm 2: 10%
Midterm 3: 10%
Attendance: 10%
Final Exam: 20%
Labs: 40%
*No make up tests will be given for midterms. Any student
failing to take one of the midterm exams will score zero for that test unless a
legitimate, documented reason is presented to the instructor. In the latter
case the student will have the average score from the other two exams added in
place of the missing test.
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Week |
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Date |
Topic |
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I. Quantitative Skills Review |
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1 |
Wednesday |
20-Aug |
Course Introduction |
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Friday |
22-Aug |
Lab 1 Matlab
Introduction (I) |
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2 |
Monday |
25-Aug |
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Wednesday |
27-Aug |
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Friday |
29-Aug |
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3 |
Monday |
1-Sep |
Labor Day |
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Wednesday |
3-Sep |
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Friday |
5-Sep |
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II. Basic Concepts |
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4 |
Monday |
8-Sep |
Midterm 1 |
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Wednesday |
10-Sep |
Overview of Global Environmental Systems |
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Friday |
12-Sep |
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5 |
Monday |
15-Sep |
Systems View of the Environment |
Chapter 1.1-1.3, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
17-Sep |
Systems Approaches to Environmental Problems |
Chapter 1.4-1.5, Deaton |
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Friday |
19-Sep |
Linear/Exponential Growth |
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6 |
Monday |
22-Sep |
Overshoot and logistic growth |
Chapter 2.2-2.3, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
24-Sep |
Oscillation |
Chapter 2.4-2.5, Deaton |
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Friday |
26-Sep |
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7 |
Monday |
29-Sep |
In class discussion: Page 21, exercises |
Chapter 2.6, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
1-Oct |
Modeling Strategies I |
Chapter 3, Deaton; |
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Friday |
3-Oct |
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8 |
Monday |
6-Oct |
Modeling Strategies II |
Chapter 3, Deaton; |
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Wednesday |
8-Oct |
Midterm Review: Page 58, Exercises |
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Friday |
10-Oct |
Midterm 2 |
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III. Modeling of Environmental Systems |
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9 |
Monday |
13-Oct |
Radiation Basics |
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Wednesday |
15-Oct |
Radiation in the Natural Environment |
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Friday |
17-Oct |
Fall break |
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10 |
Monday |
20-Oct |
Radiation Absorption by Plants-I |
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Wednesday |
22-Oct |
Radiation Absorption by Plants-II |
Chapter 15 Campbell and Norman |
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Friday |
24-Oct |
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11 |
Monday |
27-Oct |
Ecosystem Carbon Cycle -I |
Lecture notes |
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Wednesday |
29-Oct |
Ecosystem Carbon Cycle -II |
Lecture notes |
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Friday |
31-Oct |
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12 |
Monday |
3-Nov |
Modeling Plant Carbon Assimilation |
Lecture notes |
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Wednesday |
5-Nov |
Modeling Water Movement in the Soil |
Chapter 6, Deaton |
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Friday |
7-Nov |
Chapter 6, Deaton; Lecture Notes |
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13 |
Monday |
10-Nov |
Water Movement through Plants |
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Wednesday |
12-Nov |
Midterm Review |
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Friday |
14-Nov |
Midterm 3 |
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IV. Human-Environment Interactions |
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14 |
Monday |
17-Nov |
Modeling Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems |
Chapter 6, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
19-Nov |
Surface Water Contamination |
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Friday |
21-Nov |
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15 |
Monday |
24-Nov |
Global Water Cycle |
Chapter 5, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
26-Nov |
Thanksgiving |
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Friday |
28-Nov |
Thanksgiving |
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16 |
Monday |
1-Dec |
Global Carbon Cycle |
Chapter 8, Deaton |
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Wednesday |
3-Dec |
Final Exam Review (Study
Guide) |
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Friday |
6-Dec |
Final Exam: 12pm |
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*Schedule subjective to change due to unexpected events. |
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