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

Principles of ecology from populations to ecosystems. Applications to human populations, disease, exotic organisms, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity and global dynamics of the earth.

Principles of population growth/interactions, communities and ecosystem function applied to ecological issues. Regulation of populations, dynamics/impacts of disease, invasions by exotic organisms, biodiversity, global change. Lab. Scientific writing. Quantitative skill development (mathematical models, data analysis, statistics and some coding in R). prereq: [One semester college biology or instr consent], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271 or Math 1272 or Math 1241 or Math 1242 or MATH 1281 or Math 1282 or equiv]

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.

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]

Principles of Fisheries Management is an engaging and dynamic exploration to the principles and practices of fisheries management. The course is designed as a major requirement for Fisheries subplan majors in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. It is also appropriate as an elective course for other majors and minors in FWCB, ESPM, or related biological disciplines. We cover the basics of fisheries science (habitats, ecology, and population dynamics) and management (e.g., goals, tools, implementation, and assessment) with an emphasis on human intervention and regulation. We first cover management approaches and planning, the development of an information base, and the identification of problems. We then provide a brief overview of applied limnology, fish ecology, and population dynamics, followed by approaches to manage fishery populations and habitats in freshwater and marine systems along with methods to assess management outcomes. Throughout, we demonstrate applications to specific fisheries and habitats. This is primarily a lecture-based course that also integrates field trips, group discussions, and activities. We use exams to measure comprehension, and case studies and assignments to encourage practical application. Prerequisite: Intro biology course, [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.

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.

Human dimensions of fish and wildlife concerns. Theory and methods from social sciences to address challenges and issues of managing fish and wildlife resources. Integrating social science information into fish and wildlife decision-making. Guest lecturers.

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

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

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

Techniques for studying small mammals. Lectures/field projects emphasize identification, distributions, community interactions, ecophysiology, population ecology. prereq: College-level biology course that includes study of animals or instr consent

Biology of breeding birds through use of field techniques at Itasca Biological Station/Laboratories. Daily fieldwork emphasizes identification, behavioral observations, netting/censusing. prereq: One semester college biology or instr consent

Systematics of flowering plants of the world. Ecology, geography, origins, and evolution. Family characteristics. Floral structure, function, evolution. Pollination biology. Methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. Molecular evolution. Taxonomic terms. Methods of collection/identification. Lab. prereq: BIOL 1001 or 1009 or 1009H or 2002

This course covers the basic foundations of statistical methods. In contrast to traditional methods of teaching statistics based on analytical formulas and hand-calculations, we will initially emphasize simulation-based methods (randomization tests, bootstrapping) for analyzing data. Students will learn how to implement common statistical methods (e.g., one and two sample tests, interval estimation techniques, linear regression) in the R programming language, and gain experience analyzing real data from a variety of fields, with particular emphasis on biological examples and applications.

This course introduces students to fundamental principles of population genetics and molecular phylogenetics and explores their applications to problems in the conservation, management, and restoration of biodiversity.

Fish mechanisms/behavior. Links between fish biology, fisheries ecology, management, aquaculture. Homeostasis, neurobiology, bioenergetics, reproduction, movement. prereq: 4136, BIOL 2012, CHEM 1021(may be taken concurrently)

Survey of social, psychological, economic, policy aspects of managing/conserving wildlife, fisheries, and related resources. prereq: [Biol 1001 or Biol 1009], Biol 3407

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

We are impacting our planet and the species and ecosystems on it at an unprecedented rate. This creates key policy challenges to conserve species, ecosystems, and the benefits they provide to people. But, how do we decide what is the best way to tackle these challenges? How do we do this in a world with limited resources (time, money) for conservation and multiple stakeholders with different objectives? How can we make systematic decisions to get the biggest bang for our conservation buck? To address these questions, this course will cover key topics and concepts in conservation planning and provide exposure and hands-on experience with techniques for conservation plans and decisions. We will cover topics ranging from protected areas, restoration, ecosystem services, and climate change to structured decision-making, adaptive management, and return on investment. The course has a lecture and in-class computer lab component. This course will present structured approaches to problem-solving and decision-making from a conservation perspective, and students will leave with tools for structuring and solving complex environmental problems. Therefore, this is a foundational course in conservation planning but will also provide students will a tool-box to formulate and solve complex problems in environmental management more broadly and in life. Prerequisites: Senior or graduate standing, or permission of instructor. Recommended: One course in ecology, environmental science or permission of instructor.

Structure/dynamics of running waters from ecosystem perspective. Historical perspective, basic hydrology/fluvial geomorphology, terrestrial-aquatic interactions, detrital dynamics, metabolism, drift, trophic relations, biotic/abiotic interactions, ecosystem experiments and natural alterations, stability/succession, ecosystem dynamics in a watershed. prereq: Limnology course or instr consent

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]

Each ecosystem restoration is the product of a myriad of decisions made in response to existing site conditions (biotic and abiotic), anticipated effects from the surrounding landscape, predictions about future events, logistical realities, and, of course, desired conditions. During this course, you will learn about the ecological and social factors that affect ecosystem recovery and how people intervene to reverse ecosystem degradation. The course includes examples from ecosystems around the world, with emphasis on those found in the Midwestern US. Field trips. PREREQUISITES: This course presumes previous courses in basic ecology and plant science.