Frontiers of Science Online

In this first lecture video of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick identifies ecological problems on a global scale, such as degradation of land and aquatic ecosystems, accumulation of greenhouse gases, decline of species and emerging infectious diseases. The basic science behind investigating the problems facing humans in the twenty-first century is discussed at 3 different scales: gene, species and ecosystem. A lecture transcript and companion presentation are also available on FoSO.

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In this second lecture video of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick introduces the theory and models that help us understand the current and future consequences of biodiversity loss. The lecture further emphasizes the fact that ecosystems provide services to humans – termed “Ecosystem Services”. These services are rapidly being depleted by global biodiversity loss. A lecture transcript and companion presentation are also available on FoSO.

Play video

In this third lecture video of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick provides examples of ecological restoration at the scale of genes, species, and ecosystems and discusses the important role that experiments and large-scale studies play in understanding complex systems. A lecture transcript and companion presenttion are also available on FoSO.

Play video

In this third lecture of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick provides examples of ecological restoration at the scale of genes, species, and ecosystems and discusses the important role that experiments and large-scale studies play in understanding complex systems. A lecture video and companion presentation are also available on FoSO.

In this second lecture of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick introduces the theory and models that help us understand the current and future consequences of biodiversity loss. The lecture further emphasizes the fact that ecosystems provide services to humans – termed “Ecosystem Services”. These services are rapidly being depleted by global biodiversity loss. A lecture video and companion presentation are also available on FoSO.

In this first lecture of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick identifies ecological problems on a global scale, such as degradation of land and aquatic ecosystems, accumulation of greenhouse gases, decline of species and emerging infectious diseases. The basic science behind investigating the problems facing humans in the twenty-first century is discussed at 3 different scales: gene, species and ecosystem. A lecture video and companion presentation are also available on FoSO.

In this presentation, the third of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick provides examples of ecological restoration at the scale of genes, species, and ecosystems and discusses the important role that experiments and large-scale studies play in understanding complex systems. A lecture video and transcript are also available on FoSO.

In this presentation, the second of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick introduces the theory and models that help us understand the current and future consequences of biodiversity loss. The lecture further emphasizes the fact that ecosystems provide services to humans – termed “Ecosystem Services”. These services are rapidly being depleted by global biodiversity loss. A lecture video and transcript are also available on FoSO.

In this presentation, the first of three in the Frontiers of Science unit on biodiversity, Columbia University professor Don Melnick identifies ecological problems on a global scale, such as degradation of land and aquatic ecosystems, accumulation of greenhouse gases, decline of species and emerging infectious diseases. The basic science behind investigating the problems facing humans in the twenty-first century is discussed at 3 different scales: gene, species and ecosystem. A lecture video and transcript are also available on FoSO.

This document contains analyses of data collected by students completing the Frontiers of Science fieldwork activity on Conservation Reserve Design. (A teacher's guide and student guide to this activity are provided in accompanying documents.) These analyses are provided to guide instructors who wish to implement the activity and analyze data collected by their students.