Introduction.  This course is designed to gain knowledge on the environmental conditions, issues, and events that shape the regions of cold environments on earth [alpine and arctic (polar-like) regions, including Antarctica].  These regions are on the fringes of human settlement, yet are critical to global exploration, environmental resources, and human and physical processes. Human impacts on the environment are evident and human resourcefulness for survival peaks in these severe environments.

With resources of the library, the instructor’s journals and books, and the web, our class size can allow us to work together, through synthesis of materials, discussions, and short presentations in a collaborative framework.  The result will be a useful set of summary documents which will facilitate, as an outcome for each student, a fuller appreciation of the physical and human processes that relate to these severe global environments.

Responsibilities and grading.  Students are expected to engage in library research, group discussion preparations, short report writings, and a term paper topic, all of which will represent a modern synthesis on the understanding of key processes in these severe environments. Students will have much latitude in choice of topics in order to complement the main overall goals of the course. The instructor acts as a facilitator.

Grading is based on the following: (a) in-class presentations and participation (20%), (b) group reports (50%), and (c) a term paper (30%).

Useful references for the course include:

Price, L. W., 1981. MOUNTAINS & MAN, The University of California Press, 506 pp.

Wright, H. E. and W. H. Osborn, 1968. ARCTIC AND ALPINE ENVIRONMENTS, Indiana University Press, 308 pp.

Allan, N. J. R., G. W. Knapp, and C. Stadel, 1988. HUMAN IMPACT ON MOUNTAINS, Rowman & Littlefield, 308 pp.
 

ASSIGNMENTS

1.  Each team group should prepare material for August 29 and August 31 that addresses the question: what are the analogues between alpine and arctic environments in general? How can an analogue be shaped to answer this question? Methodology to do so? Are there any graphical methods to illustrate the global analogue of an arctic region with a mountain or alpine region? What are the similarities and differences between arctic and alpine regions in general?

2. How do we define the Arctic as a region? Each group, starting August 31, should identify key processes and issues through literature survey and discussions with the instructor and be prepared for discussions on Sep 12-14. Sep 7 will be a discussion of the identification of key processes by each group and a consensus of processes and issues to highlight on Sep 12-14.

3. How do we define the Antarctic as a region? Each group, starting Sep 14, should identify key processes and issues through literature survey and discussions with the instructor and be prepared for discussions on Sep 26-Oct 3. Sep 21 will be a discussion of the identification of key processes by each group and a consensus of processes and issues to highlight on Sep 26-Oct 3.

4. How do we define Mountain Environments of the Western Hemisphere? Each group, starting Sep 28, should identify key processes and issues through literature survey and discussions with the instructor and be prepared for discussions on Oct 5-26. Oct 5 will be a discussion of the identification of key processes by each group and a consensus of processes and issues to highlight on Oct 5-26.

5. How do we define Mountain Environments of the Eastern Hemisphere? Each group, starting Oct 12, should identify key processes and issues through literature survey and discussions with the instructor and be prepared for discussions on Oct 31-Nov 21. Oct 31 will be a discussion of the identification of key processes by each group and a consensus of processes and issues to highlight on Oct 31-Nov 21.

6. By Nov 7, students should have identified, through library research and discussions with the instructor, a topic for a term paper and submitted a short prospectus on this topic to the instructor in writing. The topic should not be a simple regurgitation, but a thoughtful synthesis of an issue(s) or a process in the arctic and/or alpine regions. There is wide latitude in choice of topic, as long as the topic fits the fundamental themes discussed in the course and maintains a geographic perspective. Topics could include cultural, physical, human-interest, or environmental themes. It could be a thoughtful analysis of fiction or non-fictional materials. The paper should be no longer than 20, double-spaced, pages and include diagrams/figures where appropriate, and key, selected bibliography. Paper presentations are on Nov 28-Dec 5 and should be no longer than 15 minutes and no shorter than 10 minutes, with 5 minutes for discussion of the paper.

7. Typed term paper due in class.