Research and graduate education in the Department of Geography focuses on the following subfields: (a) Geographic information science: cartography, GIS, data analysis and visualization, spatial analysis and modeling; (b) Human geography: political-ethnic, cultural, human-environment relations, and behavioral geography; (c) Physical geography: Quaternary studies, biogeography, climatology and climatic change, geomorphology; (d) Environmental studies: forest and ecosystem issues, river and watershed issues, biodiversity and global environmental change, policy and law, environmental applications of GIS; and (e) Geographic education. Depending on departmental needs and candidate qualifications, Pro Tem Instructors may teach lower or upper division undergraduate courses, such as The Natural Environment, The Human Planet, and Society, Culture, and Place.