Ecology and Ecosystems Science (B.S.)
Required course work includes the university requirements (see regulation J-3) and:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 114 | Organisms and Environments | 4 |
| BIOL 115 | Cells and the Evolution of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 115L | Cells and the Evolution of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 213 | Structure and Function Across the Tree of Life | 4 |
| BIOL 310 | Genetics | 3 |
| or GENE 314 | General Genetics | |
| or BIOL 421 | Advanced Evolution/Population Dynamics | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Chemistry and Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| CHEM 275 | Carbon Compounds | 3 |
| or CHEM 277 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| COMM 101 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 272 | Foundations of Economic Analysis | |
| ENGL 317 | Technical Writing II | 3 |
| FOR 221 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| or WLF 220 | Principles of Ecology | |
| FOR 375 | Fundamentals of Geomatics | 3 |
| MATH 160 | Survey of Calculus | 4 |
| or MATH 170 | Calculus I | |
| NR 101 | Exploring Natural Resources | 2 |
| NR 200 | Seminar | 1 |
| NR 325 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| NR 326 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| NR 421 | ||
| NRS 235 | Society and Natural Resources | 3 |
| NRS 383 | Natural Resource and Ecosystem Service Economics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Fundamentals of Physics and Fundamentals of Physics Lab | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics I Lab | ||
| REM 429 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| STAT 251 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| WLF 448 | Fish and Wildlife Population Ecology | 4 |
| or FOR 448 | Plant Population Ecology | |
| Select one of the following emphasis areas: | 26-31 | |
| Total Hours | 96-101 | |
A. Aquatic Ecology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FISH 415 | Limnology | 4 |
| FISH 430 | Riparian and River Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 452 | Environmental Water Quality | 3 |
| Select of of the following Tools and Technology courses: | 3-4 | |
| Hydrologic Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Remote Sensing Application with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | ||
| Experimental Design | ||
| R Programming | ||
| R Programming | ||
| Statistical Analysis | ||
| Applied Regression Modeling | ||
| Select one of the following Organismal Biology courses: | 4 | |
| Herpetology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Ecology & Conservation of Freshwater Invertebrates and Freshwater Invertebrate Field Methods | ||
| Complete a minimum of 9 credits from the following courses: | 9 | |
| Environmental Hydrology | ||
| Fish Ecology | ||
| Fish Ecology Field Techniques and Methods | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
or FOR 497 | Senior Thesis | |
| Watershed Science and Management | ||
| Climate Change Ecology | ||
| Restoration Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Total Hours | 26-27 | |
Courses to total 120 credits for this degree.
B. Terrestrial Ecology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FOR 220 | Forest Biology & Dendrology | 3 |
| or REM 459 | Rangeland Ecology | |
| FIRE 326 | Fire Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 205 | The Soil Ecosystem | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | The Soil Ecosystem Lab | 1 |
| WLF 314 | Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates | 3 |
| WLF 411 | Wildland Habitat Ecology and Assessment | 2 |
| Select one of the following Tools and Technology courses: | 3 | |
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Remote Sensing Application with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | ||
| Survey Sampling Methods | ||
| Statistical Analysis | ||
| Management and Communication of Scientific Data | ||
| Select one of the following Organismal Biology courses: | 3-4 | |
| Mammalogy | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Introduction to Forest Insects | ||
| Forest and Plant Pathology | ||
| Ecophysiology | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Complete a minimum of 9 credits of upper-division courses selected in consultation with an advisor | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30-31 | |
Courses to total 122 credits for this degree.
C. Ecosystem Ecology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 112L | General Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| FOR 330 | Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology | 4 |
| SOIL 205 | The Soil Ecosystem | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | The Soil Ecosystem Lab | 1 |
| SOIL 415 | Soil and Environmental Physics | 3 |
| or SOIL 422 | Environmental Soil Chemistry | |
| SOIL 425 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| Select one of the following Remote Sensing Tools and Technology courses: | 3 | |
| Hydrologic Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Remote Sensing Application with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | ||
| Complete a minimum of 9 credits from the following courses: | 9 | |
| Meteorology | ||
| Global Climate Change | ||
| Climatology | ||
| Spatial Analysis and Modeling | ||
| Climate Change Ecology | ||
| Environmental Hydrology | ||
| Environmental Water Quality | ||
| Pedology | ||
| R Programming | ||
| Statistical Analysis | ||
| Total Hours | 31 | |
Courses to total 123 credits for this degree.
A. Aquatic Ecology Emphasis
| Fall Term 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 114 | Organisms and Environments | 4 |
| ENGL 101 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
| MATH 143 | College Algebra | 3 |
| NR 101 | Exploring Natural Resources | 2 |
| (CHEM 101 AND CHEM 101L) OR (CHEM 111 AND CHEM 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Term 1 | ||
| BIOL 115 | Cells and the Evolution of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 115L | Cells and the Evolution of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| COMM 101 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Writing and Rhetoric II | 3 |
| MATH 160 or MATH 170 | Survey of Calculus or Calculus I | 4 |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Fall Term 2 | ||
| CHEM 275 or CHEM 277 | Carbon Compounds or Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| NR 200 | Seminar (Current Issues in Ecology) | 1 |
| NRS 235 | Society and Natural Resources | 3 |
| STAT 251 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| (PHYS 100 AND PHYS 100L) OR (PHYS 111 AND PHYS 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Term 2 | ||
| BIOL 213 | Structure and Function Across the Tree of Life | 4 |
| FOR 221 or WLF 220 | Principles of Ecology or Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 202 or ECON 272 | Principles of Microeconomics or Foundations of Economic Analysis | 3 |
| American Diversity Course | 3 | |
| Elective Course | 1 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Fall Term 3 | ||
| NR 325 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| ENGL 317 | Technical Writing II | 3 |
| BIOL 310 OR BIOL 421 OR GENE 314 | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Term 3 | ||
| FOR 375 | Fundamentals of Geomatics | 3 |
| NR 326 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| NRS 383 | Natural Resource and Ecosystem Service Economics | 3 |
| BIOL 489 OR FISH 481 OR (FISH 450 AND FISH 451) | 3 | |
| International Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fall Term 4 | ||
| NR 421 | 2 | |
| FISH 415 | Limnology | 4 |
| GEOG 424 OR NRS 472 OR REM 475 OR STAT 407 OR STAT 427 OR STAT 431 OR STAT 436 | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Term 4 | ||
| REM 429 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| WLF 448 or FOR 448 | Fish and Wildlife Population Ecology or Plant Population Ecology | 4 |
| FISH 430 | Riparian and River Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 452 | Environmental Water Quality | 3 |
| Elective Course | 1 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
B. Terrestrial Ecology
| Fall Term 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 114 | Organisms and Environments | 4 |
| ENGL 101 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
| MATH 143 | College Algebra | 3 |
| NR 101 | Exploring Natural Resources | 2 |
| (CHEM 101 AND CHEM 101L) OR (CHEM 111 AND CHEM 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Term 1 | ||
| BIOL 115 | Cells and the Evolution of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 115L | Cells and the Evolution of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL 102 | Writing and Rhetoric II | 3 |
| MATH 160 or MATH 170 | Survey of Calculus or Calculus I | 4 |
| COMM 101 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication | 3 |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Fall Term 2 | ||
| CHEM 275 or CHEM 277 | Carbon Compounds or Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| NR 200 | Seminar | 1 |
| NRS 235 | Society and Natural Resources | 3 |
| FOR 220 or REM 459 | Forest Biology & Dendrology or Rangeland Ecology | 3 |
| (PHYS 100 AND PHYS 100L) OR (PHYS 111 AND PHYS 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Term 2 | ||
| BIOL 213 | Structure and Function Across the Tree of Life | 4 |
| FOR 221 or WLF 220 | Principles of Ecology or Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 202 or ECON 272 | Principles of Microeconomics or Foundations of Economic Analysis | 3 |
| SOIL 205 | The Soil Ecosystem | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | The Soil Ecosystem Lab | 1 |
| STAT 251 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Fall Term 3 | ||
| NR 325 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 310 | Genetics or Advanced Evolution/Population Dynamics or General Genetics | 3 |
| ENGL 317 | Technical Writing II | 3 |
| WLF 314 | Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates | 3 |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Term 3 | ||
| FOR 375 | Fundamentals of Geomatics | 3 |
| NR 326 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| NRS 383 | Natural Resource and Ecosystem Service Economics | 3 |
| Emphasis Elective Course, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| International Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fall Term 4 | ||
| NR 421 | 2 | |
| FIRE 326 | Fire Ecology | 3 |
| WLF 411 | Wildland Habitat Ecology and Assessment | 2 |
| NRS 472 OR REM 475 OR STAT 422 OR STAT 431 OR WLF 370 | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 2 | |
| American Diversity Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Term 4 | ||
| REM 429 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| WLF 448 or FOR 448 | Fish and Wildlife Population Ecology or Plant Population Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 483 OR BIOL 489 OR ENT 469 OR FOR 468 OR REM 465 OR WLF 482 | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 122 | |
C. Ecosystem Ecology
| Fall Term 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 114 | Organisms and Environments | 4 |
| ENGL 101 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
| MATH 143 | College Algebra | 3 |
| NR 101 | Exploring Natural Resources | 2 |
| (CHEM 101 AND CHEM 101L) OR (CHEM 111 AND CHEM 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Term 1 | ||
| BIOL 115 | Cells and the Evolution of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 115L | Cells and the Evolution of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| COMM 101 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Writing and Rhetoric II | 3 |
| MATH 160 or MATH 170 | Survey of Calculus or Calculus I | 4 |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Fall Term 2 | ||
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 112L | General Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| NR 200 | Seminar | 1 |
| NRS 235 | Society and Natural Resources | 3 |
| STAT 251 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| (PHYS 100 AND PHYS 100L) OR (PHYS 111 AND PHYS 111L) | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Term 2 | ||
| BIOL 213 | Structure and Function Across the Tree of Life | 4 |
| FOR 221 or WLF 220 | Principles of Ecology or Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 202 or ECON 272 | Principles of Microeconomics or Foundations of Economic Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 275 or CHEM 277 | Carbon Compounds or Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Fall Term 3 | ||
| NR 325 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 310 | Genetics or Advanced Evolution/Population Dynamics or General Genetics | 3 |
| ENGL 317 | Technical Writing II | 3 |
| SOIL 205 | The Soil Ecosystem | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | The Soil Ecosystem Lab | 1 |
| Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Term 3 | ||
| FOR 375 | Fundamentals of Geomatics | 3 |
| NR 326 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| NRS 383 | Natural Resource and Ecosystem Service Economics | 3 |
| FOR 330 | Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology | 4 |
| International Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Fall Term 4 | ||
| NR 421 | 2 | |
| SOIL 415 or SOIL 422 | Soil and Environmental Physics or Environmental Soil Chemistry | 3 |
| GEOG 424 | Hydrologic Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing or Remote Sensing of the Environment or Remote Sensing Application with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | 3 |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Term 4 | ||
| REM 429 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| SOIL 425 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| WLF 448 or FOR 448 | Fish and Wildlife Population Ecology or Plant Population Ecology | 4 |
| Emphasis Area Elective, Major Elective Course | 2 | |
| American Diversity Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 123 | |
After completing the B.S., Ecology and Ecosystem Science, students will be able to:
1) Explain basic population, community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology concepts, how these processes shape evolutionary processes, and regulate the distribution, abundance and diversity of organisms.
2) Evaluate how ecological process across all scales are affected by human activities.
3) Effectively use field and laboratory techniques commonly used in the field of ecology and ecosystem science.
4) Effectively use quantitative methods to analyze and understand ecological systems, including the interpretation of numeric and graphical data.
5) Synthesize information from the primary scientific literature and logically interpret the results of original research in the context of established ecological knowledge.
6) Effectively practice written and oral communication skills necessary to communicate research findings and interpretations to diverse audiences, including policy makers, scientists, stake holders and the general public.