INTD 280: Student Signup

An interdisciplinary study of the physical and human dimensions of mountain environments. Content includes the physical (glaciers, climate, geology, etc.), biological (flora, fauna, ecology, etc.), physiological (human bodies at altitude, performance, sport, etc.), and cultural (societies, literatures, histories, etc.) dimensions of these unique regions, as well as a critical analysis of the processes of change and influence shaping local and regional mountain environments around the globe, past and present.

Mountains 101 will provide students with a broad and integrated overview of the mountain world. By the end of the course you should be able to:

• Identify basic mountain ecosystem services and be able to describe their significance;
• Describe theories of mountain building, and compare mountain types and their formation;
• Identify and describe global-scale drivers of mountain climates;
• Identify and describe the effects of high-altitude on human physiology, as well as different adaptations of high-altitude peoples;
• Describe the importance of mountain hydrology, and identify how water travels through mountain landscapes;
• Define glacial formation and identify glacier types, features, and movements;
• Identify and describe the conditions necessary for avalanches and landslides to occur, as well as other mountain-specific hazards;
• Describe processes that account for mountain biodiversity, and identify alpine plant-specific adaptations;
• Identify and describe animal adaptations (including morphology, behaviour and physiology);
• Identify and describe how mountains are "used" and how to preserve and protect them;
• Assess the impact climate change has on mountain environments.

This class consists of twelve 60-minute lessons, each with a series interactive lecture videos, a set of course notes and course glossary, and recommended readings and additional resources. Each lesson also includes a short summative quiz to test your understanding.

Students taking the course for credit at the University of Alberta will be required to take a midterm and final in person, on campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Register now in Bear Tracks