• University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Human Impact in the Natural Environment

Complexity in nature arises from a myriad of simple interactions. How can this lead to an unpredictable dynamism?

27,245 enrolled on this course

Environmental Challenges: Human Impact in the Natural Environment

27,245 enrolled on this course

  • 2 weeks

  • 5 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Open level

Find out more about how to join this course

Complex patterns in ecology are not always causal and predictable. Populations have their own dynamics that can be independent of external environmental conditions. In this course we look at the way that natural systems are organised; although living systems are complex, there are also some fairly constant patterns and relationships.

This course explores three approaches to the causality and dynamics of environmental systems, and how humans are involved and affected by these systems world-wide. It also includes an introduction to correlation and the limitations of statistical testing.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds Should humans be considered an integral part of the natural environment, or are we somehow separate from nature? Much scientific research in both the social and natural sciences has been directed at trying to tease apart the relative roles of internal dynamics from external drivers, but it’s quite perplexing to make the division. Inevitably, there’s a bit of both. But the important point to recognize is that there doesn’t necessarily need to be a reason for everything. Sometimes, and probably quite a lot of the time, things just happen.

Skip to 0 minutes and 48 seconds I’m Professor Jon Lovett, Chair in Global Challenges at the University of Leeds. My role here is to guide you through this course. We start by exploring three basic principles– causality, internal dynamics versus external drivers, and the mathematics of human ecology. These principles will then be applied to a case study where we consider whether non-human animals and other natural objects have legal rights similar to those given to humans. We close the course with a discussion about the mathematics of natural dynamics, calling on experts from Natural England and Pennine Prospects, we consider the impact of land management on our natural environment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and joining your discussions on the course.

What topics will you cover?

  • Understand the concept of causal relationships and how climate can determine vegetation type.
  • Appreciate the difference between the climax concept of vegetation succession and the individualistic concept.
  • Recognise that biodiversity is not distributed evenly over the Earth, but is clustered into centres of diversity.
  • Understand that many individual interactions can lead to apparently chaotic fluctuations.
  • Gain an awareness of the 1/f power function and how it can be used to transform apparently random fluctuations into a straight line.
  • Introduction to the classic Nicholson’s blow fly experiment that demonstrates density-dependent population dynamics.
  • Understand that climate-driven events in human history, such as those of the Greenland Vikings and Mexican Mayans, were significantly influenced by social factors.
  • Recognise that there are established physical relationships in nature such as allometric scaling.
  • Gain an awareness of relationships between wealth and human social structures including the Pareto wealth distribution and environmental Kuznets curve, and the problems associated with their validity.
  • Understand the difference between ecocentric and anthropocentric positions.
  • Appreciate the arguments for legal rights for non-human species.
  • Gain an awareness of the practical aspects of converting natural complexity into decision making in natural resource management.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

This course has been accredited by the CPD Certification Service, which means it can be used to provide evidence of your continuing professional development.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the question of causality as it applies to vegetation and climate.
  • Discuss density-dependent population dynamics, where many individual interactions can lead to apparently chaotic fluctuations.
  • Explain mathematical rules in nature and human social systems.
  • Develop mathematical understanding of correlation and the limitations of statistical testing.

Who is the course for?

The course is suitable for anyone with a general interest in nature and environmental decision-making; no previous knowledge or experience is required.

If you are working in environmental management, or wish to learn more about it, this course is designed to support you as a professional. By completing all aspects of the course you will have achieved 14 hours of CPD time.

Who will you learn with?

Jon Lovett is Chair in Global Challenges in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds and works on institutional economics.
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.lovett

Who developed the course?

University of Leeds

As one of the UK’s largest research-based universities, the University of Leeds is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and a centre of excellence for teaching.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$104/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 2 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

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