Special Topics in BIO: Climate Change, Plant Health and Food Security (BIO 58000)

2020 Spring
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Levent Öztürk lozturk@sabanciuniv.edu,
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Doctoral, Master
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Climate change is predicted to adversely affect plant production in most of the agricultural areas around the world. Many established agricultural production systems are being questioned for their vulnerability to climate change, forcing farmers to adopt new management practices and modify their accustomed cropping systems. ?Climate Change, Plant Health and Food Security?? course will study the individual climate change variables in two sections. The first section will discuss the variables that have a broader and direct effect, viz., (i) elevating atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO2) and (ii) rising global temperature. The second section will highlight localized effects of climate change (i.e. changing precipitation patterns, heat waves, frequency of agricultural droughts) on plant health and food security. In the first section, the contradictory interactions of eCO2 and high temperatures will be examined in light of recent literature. It is known that eCO2 alone can bring about significant profit in gross agricultural production, mostly by means of cultivation of C3 crop species and due to increased carbon abundance and the concomitant water-use efficiency. However, students will comprehend that the rising global temperatures challenge any optimistic predictions about the effect of global climate change on crop productivity. In the final part of the first section students will be given the task of performing a literature review on effects of major climate change variables on deterioration of the nutritional value of cereal grains (i.e. due to enhanced carbohydrate accumulation and thus dilution of protein and micronutrients in grain tissue). The second section will focus on increases in frequency and severity of abiotic stressors including but not limited to heat, drought, waterlogging, and salinity as a consequence of changes in the local climate. Topics will extend to impact of global and local climate change variables on crop pests and diseases. Potential effects of climate change-induced biotic stress factors will be discussed in particular of farm biosecurity and food security. In the final section of the course, mitigation and adaptation strategies for tackling local and global climate change variables will be introduced. Strengths and weaknesses of current breeding and agricultural management strategies will be discussed.




3. Evaluate and use new information within the field in a systematic approach.


5. Critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of new and complex ideas.

6. Gain advanced level skills in the use of research methods in the field of study.



9. Demonstrate leadership in contexts requiring innovative and interdisciplinary problem solving.


11. Investigate and improve social connections and their conducting norms and manage the actions to change them when necessary.




15. Demonstrate functional interaction by using strategic decision making processes in solving problems encountered in the field.


1. Develop the ability to use critical, analytical, and reflective thinking and reasoning

2. Reflect on social and ethical responsibilities in his/her professional life.

3. Gain experience and confidence in the dissemination of project/research outputs


5. Communicate effectively by oral, written, graphical and technological means and have competency in English.

6. Independently reach and acquire information, and develop appreciation of the need for continuously learning and updating.

1. Design and model engineering systems and processes and solve engineering problems with an innovative approach.

2. Establish experimental setups, conduct experiments and/or simulations.

3. Analytically acquire and interpret data.

1. Employ mathematical methods to solve physical problems and understand relevant numerical techniques.

2. Conduct basic experiments or simulations.

3. Analytically acquire and interpret data.

4. Establish thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of physics.


2. Display an awareness of the contemporary biological issues in relation with other scientific areas.

3. Demonstrate hands-on experience in a wide range of biological experimental techniques.

1. Develop abstract mathematical thinking and mathematical intuition.

2. Demonstrate a broad understanding of several areas of advanced mathematics and of their interrelations.

3. Have knowledge of the fundamental and advanced concepts, principles and techniques from a range of topics.

4. The ability to tackle complex problems, reveal structures and clarify problems, discover suitable analytical and/or numerical methods and interpret solutions.

5. Analyze problems of the area of specialization, plan strategies for their solution, and apply notions and methods of abstract and/or applied mathematics to solve them.


2. Apply a broad understanding of the relationships between material properties, performance and processing.


4. Demonstrate hands-on experience using a wide range of materials characterization techniques.


1. Assess and identify developments, strategies, opportunities and problems in energy security and energy technologies.

2. Define and solve technical, economic and administrative problems in energy businesses.

3. Establish knowledge and understanding of energy security, energy technologies, energy markets and strategic planning in energy enterprises.

4. Demonstrate an awareness of environmental concerns and their importance in developing engineering solutions and new technologies.

5. Acquire a series of social and technical proficiencies for project management and leadership skills.

1. Apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering in computer science and engineering related problems.

2. Display knowledge of contemporary issues in computer science and engineering and apply to a particular problem.




3. Take part in ambitious and highly challenging research to generate value for both the industry and society.





