Natural Resources: Ecology,Ecosystems&Environ (A)

About NR 2030 A

Major ecological concepts and their application. Analysis of form, structure, and function of organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes. Prerequisites: RSENR students or Agroecology or Landscape Design or Environmental Studies majors; minimum Sophomore standing.

Notes

Prerequisites RSENR Students or Agroecology or Landscape Design or Environmental Studies majors; Minimum Sophomore standing Open to Degree and PACE students. System waitlisting enabled for this section.

Section Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the study of ecology, from genes to ecosystems to global change. Using both classic and contemporary research, NR 2030 examines the foundational principles of ecology and how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact across space and time. Major topics include population dynamics, species interactions, nutrient cycling, and global change. Throughout the semester, you will develop the ability to think critically, quantitatively, and ecologically to understand the key concepts in ecology. You will also gain an appreciation for how ongoing global change shapes, and will continue to shape, nearly every aspect of the living world. Finally, you will learn how ecologists do ecology, from asking questions and designing experiments to analyzing data and interpreting results, to better understand the natural world around us.

Section Expectation

By the end of this course, you will have a broad understanding of the major ecological patterns and on the factors that generate, maintain and threaten biodiversity. You will understand the key theories unifying the study of ecological systems. You will become comfortable with the tools of ecology: basic statistics, graphs, reading scientific papers, framing hypotheses, and developing the research agendas to test those hypotheses. You will also learn the variety of ecological careers that are available to today’s ecology graduates, recognize the variety of ways that ecological knowledge is accumulated and used; and have a foundation for understanding more specific and detailed content to come in higher-division coursework. Lectures will illustrate how human activities have impacted populations, communities, ecosystems, and climate, and explore how the science of ecology can be used to help devise solutions to conserve diversity in the face of current and future threats. In short, you will leave this course as a more ecologically aware citizen, with a deeper curiosity about how nature works, and the foundation necessary for becoming a practicing ecologist.

Evaluation

You will have a variety of ways to show us what you’ve learned. Exams (3) + Final Exam In-class/assignments & quizzes Interview Seminars Paper summaries Observation skills Ecological memes Surveys Signature assignment - Rapid Ecological Study

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks