Environmental Analysis

Baseline assessments of natural ecosystems and determination of environmental contamination require well-designed and accurate chemical, ecological, and geological measurements. This program will focus on investigations in ecology supported with geology and analytical chemistry. Instrumental techniques of chemical analysis will be developed in an advanced laboratory. Procedures and technical writing will be emphasized.

During fall and winter quarters, topics in freshwater ecology, geochemistry, hydrology, analytical chemistry, GIS, statistics and instrumental methods of chemical analysis will be addressed. Students will participate in group projects studying water quality, trophic structure, organic matter and nutrient cycling processes of the Nisqually River watershed. Analytical procedures based on EPA, USGS and other guidelines will be developed for major and trace anion and cations concentrations, to analyze concentrations of species of a single element, and to measure analytes and phytochemicals critical to quantification of leaf-litter decay processes and marine-derived nutrients. Computers and statistical methods will be used extensively for data analysis and simulation as well as for work with GIS. A trip to Death Valley, planned for winter quarter, will expand the diversity of ecosystems examined.

Spring quarter will be devoted largely to project work continuing from fall and winter, and to studies of other lakes and rivers in Washington. Studies of statistics and analytical chemistry will be completed in spring quarter. Presentation of project results in both oral and written form will conclude the year.

Students leaving at the end of fall quarter will receive lower-division credit. Students who satisfactorily complete at least fall and winter quarters will receive upper-division credit for both quarters.