Introduction
IUPUI students plant tree seedlings in Ellenberger Park in Indianapolis. The planting is part of an ecosystem restoration program done in coordination with IndyParks. These students were part of a service learning project. (IUPUI Earth Sciences).
At this point, you have learned about minerals, rocks, soils, water, glaciers, and our atmopshere. Each represents a distinct aspect of Earth's systems. In this module, we will expand our scope to look at how all these materials interact with each other and with the biosphere--plants, animals, and all living beings.
The study of geology has changed signficiantly over the past two decades. Geology is no longer "just rocks", but the study of how earth materials interact within ecosystems. Our service learning program in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at IUPUI focuses on using our understanding of Earth materials to repair existing ecosystems around Indianapolis.
Our examination of ecosystems will cover how the biosphere and Earth material interact with each other, how humans impact, alter, or destroy ecosystems, and how scientists describe how ecosystems function.