**If you are interested in signing up for this course, please join the first class on Feb 22nd (Wed.) at 15:30 at XinSheng Lecture Building, room 203 (新生203).
**If you cannot come to the physical classroom, please attend the first class at 15:30 (UTC+8) via live-streaming lectures on Facebook Group "111-2 Exploring Taiwan: Natural Environment and Resources (link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/712993206894569 ). Please join the Facebook group as soon as possible.

*** Make sure you join the first class to get the registration code.***

Taiwan, an island country rich in biodiversity, located between Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate, the geological structure is relatively young. The frequent orogeny in Taiwan form many towering mountains, so even though Taiwan is in the tropical and subtropical zone, the temperate climate can still be found at high altitudes. In addition, the creatures adapted to different climates can survive in Taiwan.

Taiwan is also known for its high percentage of endemic species. It is because, during the Ice Age, Taiwan was connected to Eurasia. After the Ice Age, Taiwan was isolated by the ocean, and many lives gradually evolved into endemic species on the island. Nowadays, the proportion of endemic species in Taiwan is about 71% in mammals, 17% in birds, 22% in reptiles, 31% in amphibians, 19% in freshwater fish, 25% in plants, and 60% in insects.

Although the land area of Taiwan is only 0.027% of the total of the world, the number of species is as high as 3.8%, which is 150 times the global average. Furthermore, the marine species around Taiwan are about 10% of the world, 361 times the average. Taiwan is not a country with a large territory, while its rich biological resources are fantastic. Based on that, we invite guest speakers in different fields to talk about Taiwan’s geography, wildlife, ecosystem and culture. They will help students to learn more about the beautiful nature of Taiwan. Besides the lectures, students could also build a comprehensive knowledge through the three various field trips (two assigned trips and one self-planned trip).