Ecology and Evolution In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics.   The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive species and their patterns of spread).  We will emphasize experimental design, data collection in the field and in the laboratory, data analysis, and writing skills. This course is not open to seniors and second semester juniors in the Fall.

The Living Deserts of North America What does the desert smell like after it rains, and why? How do desert organisms cope with harsh environmental conditions in diverse ways? How have socio-ecological systems shaped desert landscapes? In this course we will explore these types of questions through hands-on, experiential learning and place-based scientific observation. As a class we will gain background knowledge of desert ecology before a 10-day trip to the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau Deserts of Western North America. Students will gain exposure to a diversity of desert landscapes, engage in round-table discussions with local and Indigenous groups around social and environmental issues impacting deserts, and conduct an independent field research project. This course requires participation in a 10-day field trip to the Southwest during spring break. (BIOL 140 and instructor approval).

Botanical Illustration: The Art of Science, The Science of Art The natural diversity of plants and the adaptations they possess is awe-inspiring and has been the subject of botanical illustration for thousands of years. In this course students will develop fundamental artistic techniques for capturing plant forms using a variety of artistic methods (graphite, charcoal, silver point, ink, watercolor) and a diversity of living plant specimens. Students will learn how to represent the broad scale of botanical diversity, from the shapes of trees via field-based journaling to the cells of mosses via microscopy-to-paper transcription. Students will develop a practice of close observation that challenges their assumptions of how they see the natural world, will master faithful transformation of 3D natural forms to 2D, and will be challenged to apply plant anatomical knowledge and form-function relationships to develop scientifically accurate, publication-quality illustrations in a feedback-rich studio environment.

Biology of Plants An introduction to plants, their life cycles, and their relationships to each other, as well as to the animals that pollinate them, disperse their fruits, and eat them. We will discuss morphology, physiology, evolution, and natural history of plants (mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms). The laboratory will emphasize plant identification, various aspects of plant ecology and physiology, plant morphology, and plant use by humans.  Students will complete a Community Service component, such as completing a forest inventory for a local forest, assisting with the campus tree map, or help with seed-saving measures at the College Organic Garden.  Field trips will be the norm early in the semester.

Global Change Biology We will examine the effects of global climate change on the earth system. Our emphasis will be on exploring what we know about the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them. We will examine primary literature-based case studies to reveal how biologists study processes of change on local and global scales, and we will assess how accurately we can predict future changes in species distribution and ecosystem function. In lab, we will apply simulation techniques to predict carbon dioxide and global temperatures into the next century, and couple citizen science platforms (e.g. iNaturalist) with species distribution modeling to predict ecological interactions in future climates. No prior computational modeling experience required/assumed.

Desert Ecology Drylands (deserts, semi-deserts, savannas) account for over 40 percent of Earth’s terrestrial area and are home to two billion people. They represent the most stressful of habitats, but also are home to organisms possessing the most incredible adaptations to survive. In this course we will explore the unique biology of desert ecosystems across the globe, using primary literature, review articles, and nonfiction works to answer: What selective pressures shape physiology and ecology in desert organisms? How have plants and animals evolved to survive in deserts? How are humans and climate change altering dryland ecosystems on local and global scales?

Deserts: Myths, Mystery, Magic From the Mojave to the Atacama to the Kalahari, Earth’s deserts are as fascinating as they are mysterious. In this course we will explore the unique biology of deserts, how humans interact (and have interacted in the past) with these ecosystems, and examine how deserts are portrayed in media and popular culture. Critically, we will evaluate the many myths that surround deserts (e.g. they are all lifeless, hot, best as solar farms) and dispel them with evidence from primary and secondary scientific sources.

Kirsten Coe

Reviews and ratings for Kirsten Coe at Middlebury College.Kirsten Coe teaches Ecology and Evolution, Living Deserts, Botanical Illustration and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Kirsten Coe good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Highly highly HIGHLY recommend this course. The labs are insanely fun and useful (being able to ID a bunch of trees/flowers is a great skill) and Coe is so clearly passionate about plants. The majority of the exam grades are based on corrections which makes both getting a good grade and actually learning something very feasible. The initial exam is a bit challenging, but it is all based on information that is given during lecture. There are daily textbook readings, but they are fairly short and you can get by without doing them as the exams are based only on lecture, but honestly the content is so interesting that the readings aren't a hardship at all! There's also some student-led paper discussions and weekly presentations on interesting plants species to make the course even more informative and interesting. Loved this course absolutely take it if it's an option!

Loved this class! Professor Coe is so smart and lovesss plants which makes learning about them extra fun (especially bryo's!). Lab work is pretty chill and super fun. 10/10 recommend as an organismal, it's a lot less heavy on memorization as other organismal bio classes, but I feel like I am taking a lot more away. 

I found this class extremely boring and the concepts addressed in class felt like lower than high school level bio. It was very easy and I appreciated the professor's teaching style, however I was very uninterested by the content. Labs could be fun though. I wouldn't take this course unless you have to for a major/minor. 