LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, who have lived on these lands since time immemorial.

COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A variety of ecological processes shape agricultural landscapes. Students will learn the research foundations of applied ecology in agriculture and how to read and critique the scientific literature in this field.

PREREQUISITES

One of BIOL 230, APBI 260 or APBI 265.

CONTACTS

COURSE STRUCTURE

The twice weekly 1.5 hour sessions are a combination of lectures, in class discussions and activities, an in-class computer activity on data presentation and several outdoor activities at the UBC farm (see schedule). Participation in all lectures, discussions and activities is required (see grading scheme). Note that journal articles must be downloaded from the UBC library.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS*

Lecture/Activity Schedule (* schedule may be updated periodically on Canvas)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Understand the connections between ecological theory and working agricultural systems
2. Learn how to read and critique core research in field of agroecological science
3. Learn how to write and present a research proposal on a topic in agroecology
4. Learn the basics of agro-environmental issues; gain insights on the complexity of the issues and their solutions; problem solve while taking other viewpoints into consideration
5. Practice working effectively in a team

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Discuss your prepared and spontaneous ideas in lecture (required)
2. Critically review an agroecology research study using a prepared rubric (required)
3. Learn specific agro-ecology based farming approaches in practice at UBC Farm (required)
4. Conduct literature review and propose a research project in agroecology (required)
5. Take different perspectives and make policy recommendations in a role playing activity (required)
6. Learn how to identify local bees in a lab (and field) setting (required)

KEEPING UP WITH THE COURSE

The syllabus is your guide to keeping on top of assignments, activities, expectations and key dates. Follow the course Canvas site for up to date information on course readings, deadlines and activities. Journal article readings must first be downloaded by the students using the resources available on UBC’s library website.

READINGS AND OTHER RESOURCES

Required readings:

1. Douglas, M.R. et al. 2015. Neonicotinoid insecticide travels through a soil food chain, disrupting biological control of non-target pests and decreasing soya bean yield. Journal of Applied Ecology 52, 250-260.
2. Sálek, M. and M. Mayer. 2022. Farmstead modernization adversely affects farmland birds. Journal of Applied Ecology 60: 101-110.

Recommended:

1. Tilman, D., Rich, P.B. and Knops, J.M. 2006. Biodiversity and ecosystem stability in a decade-long grassland experiment. Nature 441: 629-674.
2. Pecenka, J.R. et al. 2021. IPM reduces insecticide applications by 95% while maintaining or enhancing crop yields through wild pollinator conservation. PNAS 118: 108429118 
3. Petermann, J.S. et al. 2008. Janzen-Connell effects are widespread and strong enough to maintain diversity in grasslands. Ecology 89: 2399-2406.
4. Tiemann, L.K. et al. 2015. Crop rotational diversity enhances belowground communities and functions in an agroecosystem. Ecology Letters 18: 761-771.

Required Videos:

1. Drew Bondar interview for Delta Farmland Wildlife Trust:

  https://www.facebook.com/1404879516500216/videos/974822392984220/

2. Claire Kremen talks about working lands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTvhBiBsaIA

ASSESSMENTS OF LEARNING

APBI 360 LATE POLICY: Unless an academic concession has been granted (https://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,329,0,0#26562), assignment grades will be docked by 10% if not submitted to Canvas by the deadline. Assignments not submitted by 4:30PM (Pacific Time) on the day following the deadline will receive a grade assignment of 0. Any midterm or lab exams missed (again, for an approved reason, see link above) will have their weight placed to the final exam. If you are struggling with an assignment or deadline, please make an appointment to see me as soon as you can.

APBI 360 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY (note: this policy is based on the American Naturalist instructions to scientific authors): Students may only use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies to improve readability and language of their assignments. Use of this technology should be done with human oversight and control, and students should carefully review and edit the output, as it frequently generates incorrect, biased, or incomplete statements. Students are ultimately fully responsible and accountable for all content, including any content produced by AI tools, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics, including copyright. Any use of generative AI tools that goes beyond editing is prohibited. Please include an AI statement at the end of your document that describes a) whether; b) how and c) which AI was used during the production of the final product.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Policies and Resources to Support Student Success

UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise; there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions.

Details of the policies and how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website.

Policies and Definitions to Support Academic integrity

Be sure you are aware of UBC’s policies around plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct, as described here: https://academicintegrity.ubc.ca/regulation-process/academic-misconduct/

COPYRIGHT

All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the Course Instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline.

Version: January 6, 2025