teaching
Courses, workshops, video lectures, and open training materials in plant ecology, macroecology, and biodiversity science
Teaching in the Enquist Lab spans formal university courses, international field training programs, workshops, and open video lectures and slides. The unifying theme is using biodiversity science, macroecology, and quantitative methods to understand plant form, function, and diversity across scales.
Current & Recent Courses
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| ECOL 340 | Evolution of Plant Form, Function, and Diversity |
| ECOL 596x | R Workshops for EEB PhD Students and Postdocs |
| ECOL 586 | Biological Scaling and Macroscopic Processes |
| ECOL 596W | New Methods in Trait-based Ecology and Evolution |
| ECOL 600 | Ecology and Evolution Core Class |
Plant Functional Trait Courses (PFTC)
The Plant Functional Trait Courses provide hands-on training in plant functional traits ecology within a real-life field research project setting. Students plan and execute a trait-based research project, collect and document plant functional trait data in the field, and explore these data using trait-based approaches within climate change research and ecosystem ecology. Field campaigns have taken place in Norway, Colorado (USA), Peru, China, and additional countries.
Workshops & Short Courses
- Integrating and Cleaning Biodiversity Data — workflows to model ranges and merge ecological, phylogenetic, and trait information. Taught at the 2017 International Biogeography Society meeting, Tucson, AZ. Course overview
Video Lectures
Our Rapidly Changing Biosphere
University of Arizona Public Science Lecture, 2020
The Concept of Time in Biology, and the Unity of Life
Oxford Martin School, 2017
NOVA: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Fractal geometry and metabolic scaling — see the lab's work starting at ~43 min
National Geographic: X-Ray Earth
Metabolic scaling theory in action — see the lab's work starting at ~50 min
Better Forecasting Our Ecological Future: Taming Big Data with Big Theory
2014
Actually, James H. Brown is an Evolutionary Biologist
Brian Enquist
Biodiversity, Ecology, and Global Change
Brian Enquist
Organismal Seminar — Part 1
Dr. Brian J. Enquist
Organismal Seminar — Part 2
Dr. Brian J. Enquist
Forecasting the Future of the Biosphere using Abundance and Size Distributions
Toward a General Theory Predicting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Responses to Global Change
The Future of Plant Biodiversity and the Functioning of the Biosphere in the Anthropocene
The Future of Biodiversity and the Functioning of the Biosphere in the Anthropocene
2022
PFTC5 Lecture 1
Plant Functional Trait Course 5, 2020
Interspecific Integration of Trait Dimensions at Local Scales
Julie Messier
View full Academic Talks playlist on YouTube ↗
Open Slides & Materials
- #PlantBlindness: Why Plants Matter and Why We Study Traits — Enquist (2020). Slides ↗
- Introduction to Trait-Based Ecology (updated) — Enquist (2020). Slides ↗
- Muy BIEN: Next Steps in a Global Workflow for Integrating Plant Botanical Observations — Enquist et al. (2018). Slides ↗
- Trait Drivers Theory: Integrating and Scaling from Plant Form, Function & Strategies to Ecosystems — Enquist & Savage (2017). Slides ↗
- Introduction to Data Science & Management: What They Don't (But Should) Teach You About the Scientific Method — Enquist (2016). Slides ↗
- A Quick Introduction to Trait-Based Ecology — Enquist (2015). Slides ↗
- Overview Lecture on Macroecology — Enquist (2014). Slides ↗
- Introduction to Metabolic Scaling Theory: From Cells to Ecosystems — Enquist (2014). Slides ↗