NRE 4205: Stream Ecology (undergraduate) and NRE 5335: Advanced Stream Ecology (graduate)
Offered fall, odd years
Description: The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of stream ecosystem structure and function. We will explore the types of streams present worldwide and investigate some of the important physical and biological processes that characterize ecological connections of stream ecosystems. Topics covered will include stream habitats and the diversity of organisms which inhabit them, adaptations to life in running water, and energy flow and nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems. Conservation issues will be featured regularly throughout the semester. Field trips will occur during regularly scheduled class periods and are required. Field trips will give students hands-on experiences in collecting ecological data in stream environments.
Objectives: Students successfully completing this course will be able to: 1) Describe and explain the fundamental physical drivers operating in stream ecosystems and how they vary in space and time. 2) Recognize the major classes of organisms associated with stream ecosystems and describe their functional roles. 3) Understand the fundamental controls on biotic diversity in stream ecosystems and its variance. 4) Describe major aspects of stream ecosystem function including energy flow and nutrient cycling. 5) Recognize the suite of ecosystem services provided by stream ecosystems and identify the causes and consequences of human impacts on streams and rivers. 6) Describe the underlying principles of bioassessment and current methods of stream restoration.
NRE 5150: Ecosystem Science and Management
Offered spring, odd years
Description: We will examine the interactions between physical, chemical, and biological processes that regulate terrestrial and aquatic systems, as well as management strategies that explicitly consider ecosystem structure and function. The objective of this course is to provide a graduate-level overview of the principles of ecosystem science – including concepts, theories, and tools – that will help you advance your own study of ecological systems.
Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1) Explain the physical, chemical, biological, and human social processes that regulate ecosystem structure and function. 2) Describe the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, including the fine-scale processes involved and the ways human activities are altering these cycles. 3) Evaluate experimental and computational approaches used in ecosystem science. 4) Assess contemporary approaches in ecosystem management, including a systems approach toward effective environmental decision-making. 5) Express research findings and scientific arguments for a general audience; communicate uncertainty to natural resource managers.
