Ecological legacies: Quantifying canopy cover and species diversity in urban ecosystems

This learning activity is designed for three consecutive 50-minute class periods in an upper-level ecology or environmental science course. In the first two class periods, students use published data sets to analyze the effect of historic redlining on urban tree canopy and animal species diversity data in RStudio, a free and open-source data analysis software. In the final class period, students break into small groups to discuss a review paper about the ecological effects of systemic racism. Previous knowledge of R is helpful but not required for students. An optional R and RStudio installation guide is provided for classes that have not previously used R. Detailed worksheets guide students through the process of using R to calculate descriptive statistics, generate boxplots, conduct ANOVAs, and make species-accumulation curves. A structured discussion guide encourages students to synthesize their findings and reflect broadly on the connection between social justice and ecological patterns.