Sprawl and Biodiversity

This module focuses on sprawl—unplanned development patterns of auto-dependent dispersed single-use and low-density land—which has become widespread in the United States. The causes of sprawl are diverse, but are based in public policies governing housing, taxation, zoning, transportation, etc. at all government levels. While there is now a growing movement to halt the expansion of sprawl in the U.S., there is no single or easy solution. Students will examine the unanticipated yet wide-ranging effects of sprawl on all levels of diversity, from species to ecosystem processes, and consider the relationships between sprawl and other threats to biodiversity, including habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change.