Plant Physiological Ecology
BIOL Physiological
Outlines the plant's Hutchinsonian niche
532
Plant Ecology
through review of energy, material (water,
nutrients and toxins) and mechanical
(including animal) factors. Computer
modeling of plant function in the
environment is discussed.
BIOL Physiological
A research project in physiological plant
533
Plant Ecology
ecology will be chosen, carried out and
Lab
reported in scientific journal format.
Microbial Physiological Ecology
LRES Advanced Soil
Advanced laboratory course.
552
and
Microorganisms are targeted for isolation
Environmental
and characterization, emphasizing those not
Microbiology
normally encountered in general
microbiology laboratory. Biogeochemical
cycling, contaminant biodegradation,
extremophiles, and plant-microbe
interactions are typical topics investigated.
Students employ classic and novel
cultivation approaches, identifying microbes
based morphology, physiology, and
phylogeny
Plant and Animal Physiological Ecology
ARNR Range
Lectures and selected readings on the
541
Ecophysiology
response of range plants and animals to
daily and seasonal changes in their
environment, including physiology, animal
behavior, and plant population biology.
Plant Population Ecology
LRES Agroecology/
Focus on the principles and theories of
543
Applied Plant
population and community ecology as they
Ecology
relate to invasive plant species in natural
and agroecosystems. Measuring plant
interference and assessing population
interactions and dynamics through empirical
and theoretical models. Review theory and
methodology concerning plant population
demographics, dispersal , and natural trait
selection. Examine the role of biodiversity
and evolution in determining sustainable
management of ecosystems.
Animal Population Ecology
BIOL Population
Techniques for modeling the growth,
506
Dynamics
regulation, harvesting and persistence of
populations
F&WL Applied
An in-depth review of (1) animal population
501
Population
ecology and (2) the application of theory in
Ecology
contemporary population management.
Computer lab.
F&WL Analysis of
502
Population &
Habitat Data
ENTO
514
Behavioral
Ecology
BIOL
521
Conservation
Biology
BIOL
548
Conservation
Genetics
BIOL
534
Vegetation
Ecology
BIOL
542
Community
Ecology
LRES
543
Agroecology/
Applied Plant
Ecology
Study of the theory and methods of
sampling and analyzing population and
habitat data for vertebrates. Estimation of
population size, survival, recruitment,
habitat selection and home range with
contemporary software packages. Computer
lab.
Behavioral Ecology
Functional and evolutionary aspects of the
behavior of insects and vertebrates,
concentrating on the structure and tests of
present-day theory; optimal foraging theory,
habitat selection, mating systems, parental
investment, game theory and social
behavior.
Conservation Biology
Examines issues relevant to conservation of
wild populations, focusing primarily on
animals. Emphasis is on approaches that
use demography, population biology and
genetics to address conservation questions.
Readings are from the primary literature,
rather than a textbook, including case
studies.
Introduces the theory and practice of
conservation genetics, focusing primarily on
animals. Case studies will be used liberally,
and emphasis will be place on interpreting
genetic data. Readings will include primary
literature.
Community Ecology
Considers the composition, structure,
function, distribution in time and space,
ecology and classification of communities.
Emphasizes universal methods, current
studies and Rocky Mountain systems.
Focuses on the origin, maintenance, and
consequences of Biological diversity within
local communities by examining studies of
natural patterns, explorations of
Mathematical models and direct
experimentation. The complexities of
species interactions are explored in
multispecies assemblages.
Focus on the principles and theories of
population and community ecology as they
relate to invasive plant species in natural
and agroecosystems. Measuring plant
interference and assessing population
interactions and dynamics through empirical
and theoretical models. Review theory and
methodology concerning plant population
demographics, dispersal , and natural trait
selection. Examine the role of biodiversity
and evolution in determining sustainable
management of ecosystems.
Ecosystem Ecology
BIOL Advanced
Advanced quantitative study of the physical,
502
Limnology
chemical and biological dynamics of lakes
and reservoirs.
F&WL Advanced Stream Overview of physical and biological
511
Ecology
interactions in streams and how these are
affected by man's activities.
LRES Belowground
Application of basic ecological principles to
561
Plant Ecology
belowground interactions of plant
communities. Topics include plant
competition, belowground herbivory, plantmicrobe interactions including mycorrhizae,
and diversity/productivity links in soil
systems. Case studies will include invasive
species, plants growing on metalcontaminated substrates, and grassland
species interactions.
LRES Microbial
Critical review of literature on the
515
Ecology
distribution and activity of microorganisms
in natural microbial communities based on
microbial adaption and physical, chemical
and biological features of the
microenvironment. A critical discussion of
literature and approaches
Landscape Ecology
BIOL Landscape
Principles on landscape pattern, change, and
515
Ecology and
function. Application of theory to
Management
conservation including population viability,
reserve design, multiple-use landscapes.
Lab introduces GIS, GPS, and simulation
models
BIOL Frontiers in
Students and instructor will write a
524
Landscape
scientific paper for publication that
Ecology
synthesizes an important question in
landscape ecology. Students will select the
topic, review and synthesize current
knowledge on the topic, and write a
scientific manuscript.
LRES Soil-Landscape
Quantitative soil-landscape modeling with
554>
Modeling
an emphasis on multivariate spatial
statistics, digital terrain modeling, and
underlying landscape processes. The course
is built around "hands-on" projects and
discussions of peer-reviewed literature.
Paleoecology
GEOG Bioclimatography The distribution of plants, as controlled by
505
climate, geologic history and geographic
location. Changes over time in distribution
patterns as related to climate change and
other human activities.
GEOL Quaternary
The last two million years of earth history
581
Environments
as interpreted from geologic, biologic, and
pedologic proxy data. Includes both global
and regional analyses of changing climates
and their effects on earth surface processes
and land forms.
ESCI
Quaternary
Examination of the history and development
582
Paleoecology and of modern biomes and the causes and
Vegetation
consequences of long-term environmental
History
change; introduction to the principles of
paleoecology and the data used to
reconstruct past vegetation.
ESCI
Topics in
Focus on topics of special concern in the
583
Paleoecology (not field of paleoecology through discussion of
offered in 2009)
literature and individual investigation.
Topics in the past have included:
Geography of Natural Disturbance,
Humans and Fire, and Climate Change:
Past, Present, and Future.
ESCI
Quaternary
Examines the history of the western U.S.
584
environments of
over the last 2 million years to provide
the western U.S
information on past climatic, environmental,
and biotic changes and their role in shaping
the current landscape.
Quantitative Ecology
F&WL Analysis of
Study of the theory and methods of
502
Population &
sampling and analyzing population and
Habitat Data
habitat data for vertebrates. Estimation of
population size, survival, recruitment,
habitat selection and home range with
contemporary software packages. Computer
lab.
BIOL Quantitative
Applications of mathematical models to
504
Biology
biological phenomena with examples drawn
from physiology, ecology and
bioengineering. The course is intended to
develop facility with optimization
techniques, numerical methods, matrix
operations, complex variables and simple
statistical ideas. Computer lab.
BIOL Environmental
Theory of ecological dynamics and
505
Analysis
introduction to multivariate methods for
ecological analysis. Computer lab.
BIOL Introduction to
With computers, the power of mathematical
509
BIOL
518
BIOL
540
LRES
535
LRES
525
ESCI
505
ESCI
585
Practical
Modeling
modeling is accessible to every biologist.
We will discuss philosophies, strategies,
techniques and pitfalls of modeling. After
this course, students should be able to
answer complex biological questions by
formulating and analyzing
mathematical/computational models.
Parameter
Statistical methods to quantify uncertainty,
Estimation for
and to plan data collection for cost-efficient
Ecological
reduction in uncertainty, in application to
Models
ecological models where data are often
sparse and processes are often noisy, and
management decision must take account of
uncertainty.
Analysis of
Multivariate statistical analysis of data from
Ecological
terrestrial or aquatic, plant or animal
Communities
communities. Classification, ordination, and
predictive modeling of species and
communities, emphasizing a hands-on
approach and practical problem solving in
community ecology.
Techniques of
Exploration and understanding of analytical
Spatial Analysis
techniques needed to deal with spatially
correlated data. Emphasis is placed on
practical applications within geographic
information systems and image processing.
Remote Sensing
Applied Remote
Applications of remote sensing for graduate
Sensing
students, including advanced studies of
multispectral and hyperspectal sensors and
image processing algorithms. Emphasis is
on using remote sensing technologies for
solving applied land resource issues.
Students will participate in discussions of
current remote sensing literature.
Geobiology
Geomicrobiology he course will examine geochemical and
microbial interactions that control earth
surface processes and ultimately major
bigeochemical cycles. The course will study
integrated approaches to research problems
using geochemistry, stable isotope
geochemistry, culture-based and molecular
microbial techniques
Advances in
Weekly seminar to discuss current literature
Geobiology
and other “hot topics” in the fields of
paleontology, paleoecology,
geomicrobiology, and biogeography.
Social & Political Sciences
F&WL Human
This course provides fisheries and wildlife
525
Dimensions of
Fisheries and
Wildlife
Management
management graduate students with an
understanding of how social, cultural,
behavioral, and demographic characteristics
of humans affect fisheries and wildlife
management.