Form and function of forests as ecological systems. Characteristics and dynamics of species, populations, communities, landscapes, and ecosystem processes. Examples applying ecology to forest management. Weekly discussions focus on research topics in forest ecology, exercises applying course concepts, and current issues in forest resource management. Required weekend field trip. Prereq: Biol 1001, 1009 or equivalent introductory biology course; 1 semester college chemistry recommended.

Fish, wildlife, and other forms of biodiversity. Single species, populations, ecosystem, and landscape approaches. Experiential/interactive course. Decision-case studies. prereq: BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009

Nature of oceans, their role sustaining life on planet. Diversity/ecology of organisms that live in coastal, deep, open seas. Effects of humans on marine life. Resilience of marine life, its importance to human society. Cultures of oceanic peoples. Selected topics. prereq: BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 2002 or ESCI 1006 or ESCI 1106 or instr consent

Introduction to themes/concepts of diverse, dynamic, and interdisciplinary field. Biological/social underpinnings of conservation problems/solutions. prereq: introductory biology course

This course covers the ecological basis for management of wildlife, including biological and sociological factors that influence management. Goals include: understanding the ecological mechanisms influencing the distribution and abundance of wildlife, learning the ecological and historical foundations of wildlife management and the ecological and social ramifications of management actions, thinking critically and logically about current wildlife issues, honing writing skills, and developing technical skills in key areas. prereq: Intro biology course, [jr or sr]

Introduction to interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies minor. Scientific, cultural, ethical, and economic concepts that affect environmental sustainability and global economic justice. Key texts. Participatory classroom environment. prereq: Soph or jr or sr

Normative/professional ethics, and leadership considerations, applicable to managing natural resources and the environment. Readings, discussion.

Negotiation of natural resource management issues. Use of collaborative planning. Case study approach to conflict management, strategic planning, and building leadership qualities. Emphasizes analytical concepts, techniques, and skills.

Political processes in management of the environment. How disagreements are addressed by different stakeholders, private-sector interests, government agencies, institutions, communities, and nonprofit organizations.

Policies affecting land use planning at local, state, and federal levels. Ecosystem and landscape scale planning. Collaborative and community-based approaches to planning for ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Class project applies interdisciplinary perspectives on planning and policy, including information gathering techniques, conservation planning tools, and evaluation of planning options.

What is necessary to achieve sustainable societies. What influences societal deliberation/decisions about environmental issues. How our behaviors affect natural systems. Key theoretical concepts of environmental social psychology and political science. How people respond to policies, using theoretical concepts from social psychology about attitudes, values, and social norms; applying these ideas to specific environmental problems and ethical debates.

Reptiles/amphibians, their systematics, behavior, ecology, physiology, development, and morphology. Diversity of reptiles/amphibians. Focuses on Minnesota fauna. Lab. prereq: BIOL 1001 or BIOL 2012

Evolutionary and biogeographic history of mammalia. Recognize, identify, and study natural history of mammals at the ordinal level, North American mammals at familial level, and mammals north of Mexico at generic level. Minnesota mammals at specific level. Includes lab. prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012

Structure, evolution, classification, distribution, migration, ecology, habitats, identification of birds. Lecture, lab, weekly field walks. One weekend field trip. prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012

Fish biology, adaptations to different environments and modes of living, and environmental relationships. Lab emphasizes anatomy and identification of Minnesota fishes. prereq: Biol 1001 or Biol 2012

The goal of this course is to help students develop skills and confidence in planning and implementing effective field research. The topics we will cover include species identification, basic statistical analysis, aquatic ecological assessments, and wildlife research. 1. Students in the course will gain experience in planning and conducting field-based research projects and will be introduced to a variety of techniques used in assessing and/or monitoring terrestrial and aquatic wildlife populations. 2. Students will learn to (1) identify common terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate species in Minnesota, (2) design, plan, and conduct field-based research, (3) collect, analyze, and interpret field data including telemetry, bird point counts, amphibian surveys, and trap-grid and remote-camera data, (4) put data findings into a context of management implications and decisions, and (5) communicate findings in written formats 3. Multiple full-day field trips or a 5-day field session is required for this course. prereq: [soph, jr, sr], FW major, must be taken concurrently with FW 3106

Regulation, growth, general dynamics of populations. Data needed to describe populations, population growth, population models, regulatory mechanisms. prereq: [4001 or STAT 3011 or ESPM 3012], [EEB 3407 or EEB 3408W or EEB 3807], Senior or grad student

Environmental interactions of wildlife at population/community levels. Environmental threats from human activities. Habitat management practices. Objectives, policies, regulations in population management. prereq: [FW 4102 or FW 4103], [EEB 3407 or EEB 3408 or EEB 3807]