Food webs describe interdependencies among species in an ecosystem.
The first third of the course will focus on food systems of the past, with particular attention to the conversion of Midwestern tall-grass prairie into the Corn Belt and the simultaneous development of Chicago as a major metropolitan center. Topics covered will include domestication, technological innovation, social institutions, mechanization, and urbanization. The final portion of the course will be dedicated to synthesizing information from the first two-thirds of the course in student projects and in speculating in an informed manner about the future impacts of changes currently taking place, or changes that should take place in food systems. Emphasis will be placed on how change in one part of the food system can have unintended consequences for other parts of the biosphere and society. Students will be evaluated on the basis of projects, papers, presentations and class participation that demonstrate the students' awareness of and appreciation for the interplay between nature, society and technology in human food systems.