CLES130 HM - Plants and Climate

Credit(s): 3

Instructor(s): Guo

Offered: Fall

Description: Can tree-planting be a major climate solution? Why do plants matter for past and future climate? This course explores how plants shape Earth’s climate, how climate change impacts plant function, and feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. Organized around the carbon, water, and energy cycles and the impacts of heat, drought,and elevated CO2, students will explore how plants are viewed through the dual lenses of life science (biology) and physical sciences (chemistry and physics), culminating in evaluating nature-based climate mitigation plans.

Prerequisite(s): BIOL046 HM, CSCI005 HM, and WRIT001 HM. HMC students are eligible after completing the first-year core sequence. Off-campus students need permission from the instructor.