2013-14 Undergraduate Index A-Z
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Ecology [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
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Dylan Fischer, Abir Biswas, Lin Nelson, Erik Thuesen, Alison Styring and Gerardo Chin-Leo
Signature Required:
Fall Winter Spring
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Environmental Studies. This independent learning opportunity is designed to allow advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. The program will help students develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills—all of which are of particular value for students who are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as for graduates who are already in the job market. studies in nutrient and toxic trace metal cycles in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. Potential projects could include studies of mineral weathering, wildfires and mercury cycling in ecosystems. Students could pursue these interests at the laboratory-scale or through field-scale biogeochemistry studies taking advantage of the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON), a long-term ecological study area. Students with backgrounds in a combination of geology, biology or chemistry could gain skills in soil, vegetation and water collection and learn methods of sample preparation and analysis for major and trace elements. studies marine phytoplankton and bacteria. His research interests include understanding the factors that control seasonal changes in the biomass and species composition of Puget Sound phytoplankton. In addition, he is investigating the role of marine bacteria in the geochemistry of estuaries and hypoxic fjords. studies plant ecology and physiology in the Intermountain West and southwest Washington. This work includes image analysis of tree roots, genes to ecosystems approaches, plant physiology, carbon balance, species interactions, community analysis and restoration ecology. He also manages the EEON project (academic.evergreen.edu/projects/EEON). See more about his lab's work at: academic.evergreen.edu/f/fischerd/E3.htm. studies and is involved with advocacy efforts on the linkages between environment, health, community and social justice. Students can become involved in researching environmental health in Northwest communities and Washington policy on phasing out persistent, bio-accumulative toxins. One major project students can work on is the impact of the Asarco smelter in Tacoma, examining public policy and regional health. studies birds. Current activity in her lab includes avian bioacoustics, natural history collections and bird research in the EEON. Bioacoustic research includes editing and identifying avian songs and calls from an extensive collection of sounds from Bornean rainforests. Work with the natural history collections includes bird specimen preparation and specimen-based research, including specimens from Evergreen's Natural History Collections and other collections in the region. Work with EEON includes observational and acoustic surveys of permanent ecological monitoring plots in The Evergreen State College campus forest. conducts research on the ecological physiology of marine animals. He and his students are currently investigating the physiological, behavioral and biochemical adaptations of gelatinous zooplankton to environmental stress and climate change. Other research is focused on the biodiversity of marine zooplankton. Students working in his lab typically have backgrounds in different aspects of marine science, ecology, physiology and biochemistry. Please go to the catalog view for specific information about each option. | botany, ecology, education, entomology, environmental studies, environmental health, geology, land use planning, marine science, urban agriculture, taxonomy and zoology. | Dylan Fischer Abir Biswas Lin Nelson Erik Thuesen Alison Styring Gerardo Chin-Leo | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Abir Biswas
Signature Required:
Fall Winter Spring
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Research | JR–SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Abir Biswas | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Alison Styring
Signature Required:
Fall Winter Spring
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Research | JR–SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Dylan Fischer
Signature Required:
Fall Winter Spring
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Research | JR–SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | plant ecology and physiology, field ecology, restoration ecology | Dylan Fischer | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Alison Styring
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | W 14Winter | Birds are considered important indicators of habitat quality and are often the focus of conservation-oriented research, restoration, and monitoring. A variety of field and analytical methods commonly used in bird monitoring and avian research will be covered. Theory will be applied to practice in the field and lab where students will develop skills in fieldwork, data management, and statistical analysis. Students will demonstrate their learning through active participation in all class activities; a detailed field journal; in-class, take-home, and field assignments; and a final project. An understanding of avian natural history is important to any successful project, and students without a working knowledge of the common birds in the South Puget Sound region are expected to improve their identification skills to a level that will allow them to effectively contribute to class efforts both in the field and in class. | Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||||
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Thomas Rainey and John Baldridge
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Program | SO–SRSophomore - Senior | 8 | 08 | Evening and Weekend | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | This interdisciplinary program offers comparative study of the Russian conquest of northern Eurasia (Siberia) and the Euro-American conquest of North America. It will explore the impact of what environmental historian Alfred Crosby calls "ecological imperialism" on native populations, economic development of the nations based on the exploitation of natural and agricultural resources, the ecological consequences of this exploitation, and the successes and failures of conservation efforts in Russia east of the Urals and in the United States west of the Mississippi. It will also consider the religious, economic, and social motivations and apologias for the ecological conquests. During the winter quarter, the program will examine these two world historical examples of ecological expansion and its consequences from 1600-1900; during the spring quarter, the program will explore the course and legacy of these conquests in the twentieth century as well as the current ecological state of these two continent-wide environments. Students can expect to read and write about bio-geographical, environmental-historical, ethnographic, natural historical, demographic, and political economic texts focusing on the western United States and on northern Eurasia. Personal and fictional accounts as well as films will also be used to enhance understanding of the environmental, economic, and social consequences of conquest. During the spring quarter, students can also expect to research and write short environmental histories of local areas in Western Washington. Credit will largely be in environmental history, bio-geography, and political economy. | Thomas Rainey John Baldridge | Tue Thu | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Martha Rosemeyer and Thomas Johnson
Signature Required:
Winter Spring
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Program | SO–SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | S 14Spring | Spring emphasis: We will study agroecology, traditional agriculture and permaculture in a tropical context. Seminar will focus on international “sustainable development” and its contradictions, successes and challenges. As a final project, students will apply their knowledge of tropical crops and soils to create a farm plan in a geographic area of their choice. This would be excellent preparation for an internship abroad and/or Peace Corps. | Martha Rosemeyer Thomas Johnson | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Dylan Fischer and Alison Styring
Signature Required:
Spring
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | S 14Spring | This program is designed to provide a premier hands-on experience on learning how to conduct field science in ecology at the advanced undergraduate level. We will focus on group and individual field research to address patterns in ecological composition, structure and function in natural environments. Students will participate in field trips to local and remote field sites and they will be expected to develop multiple independent and group research projects. A small group of 16 students will also participate in a 16-day boat trip through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River where they will conduct individual and group research. Students will be selected for the Grand Canyon experience based on an application available in winter quarter.We will work as a community to develop and implement field projects based on: 1) workshops that will train students in rapid observation and field data collection; 2) participation in large multi-year studies based in Washington and more distant field sites; and 3) student originated short- and long-term studies. Students will focus on field sampling, natural history and library research to develop workable field data collection protocols. Students will implement observation- and hypothesis-driven field projects. We will then learn to analyze ecological data using laboratory and statistical analytical approaches. Students will demonstrate their research and analytical skills via writing and presentation of group and individual research projects. Student manuscripts will be "crystallized" through a series of intensive, multi-day paper-writing workshops. Students will also give public presentations of their research work.Specific topics of study will include community and ecosystem ecology, plant physiology, forest structure, ecological restoration, riparian ecology, fire disturbance effects, bird abundance and monitoring, insect-plant interactions, disturbance ecology and the broad fields of bio-complexity and ecological interactions. We will emphasize identification of original field research problems in diverse habitats, experimentation, data analysis, oral presentation of findings and writing in journal format. | Dylan Fischer Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | |||||
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Frederica Bowcutt
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Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | S 14Spring | This program fosters the skills needed for field work in the fields of floristics and plant ecology particularly vegetation studies. Students will learn how to use Hitchcock and Cronquist's , a technical key for identifying unknown plants. We will spend time in the field and laboratory discussing diagnostic characters of plant families. Seminar readings will be focused on floristics, biogeography and vegetation ecology. Students will learn how to collect and prepare herbarium specimens and apply this knowledge to a collaborative research project. Students will also learn about herbarium curation.A multi-day field trip to the Columbia River Gorge will give students an opportunity to learn about Pacific Northwest plant communities in the field, including prairies, oak woodlands and coniferous forests. Students will be expected to maintain a detailed field journal and will be taught basic botanical illustration skills to support this work. Through the field trip, students will learn qualitative vegetation sampling methods and how to analyze their observations. The field trip is required.Students who successfully complete the course will earn 16 units of upper-division science credit in field plant taxonomy, vegetation ecology of the Pacific Northwest, and floristic research. | Frederica Bowcutt | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | |||||
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Gerardo Chin-Leo and EJ Zita
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Program | SO–SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | The Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are affected by human activities, by the Sun and by geologic activity. Over many millions of years, the Earth has experienced wide fluctuations in climate, from ice ages to very warm periods. Earth is currently experiencing an unusually rapid warming trend, due to anthropogenic (human-caused) changes in atmospheric composition. Historically, a major factor determining global climate has been the intensity of the Sun's energy reaching the Earth. However, climate changes cannot be explained by variations in solar radiation alone. This program will examine some of the major interactions between the Earth and Sun, atmosphere and oceans.Interactions between oceans and atmosphere affect the composition of both, and oceans impact global climate by redistributing the Sun's energy. Changes in ocean circulation help explain climatic changes over geologic time, and marine microorganisms play a major role in the cycling of gases that affect climate (e.g., CO2 and dimethylsulfide). What is the evidence for causes of contemporary global warming? What are expected consequences? What can be done? What about proposed schemes to engineer solutions to global warming, such as the sequestration of anthropogenic carbon into the deep sea? We will study diverse and interconnected physical, chemical, geological and biological processes. This requires a basic understanding of biology and chemistry as well as facility with algebra and ability to learn precalculus.Students will learn through lectures, workshops, laboratories and seminars, often using primary scientific literature. Students will do significant teamwork and may research questions that they are particularly interested in. We will have weekly online assignments, so students should be comfortable using computers and the Internet. | Gerardo Chin-Leo EJ Zita | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||||
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Amy Cook and Ralph Murphy
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Program | FR–SOFreshmen - Sophomore | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | This program is designed to serve as a foundation for advanced programs in Environmental Studies. It will survey a range of disciplines and skills essential for environmental problem solving from both a scientific and social science perspective. Specifically, we will study ecological principles and methods, aquatic ecology, methods of analysis in environmental studies, the political and economic history of environmental policy making in the United States, micro-economics and political science. This information will be used to analyze current issues and topics in environmental studies.In fall quarter, we will study ecology with a focus on aquatic systems. We will examine the major physical and chemical characteristics of aquatic environments, the organisms that live in these environments and the factors controlling the species diversity, distribution and growth of aquatic and terrestrial organisms. These scientific issues will be grounded in the context of politics, economics and public policy. During fall quarter we will examine, from the founding era to the present, how the values of democracy and capitalism influence resource management, the scope and limitations of governmental policymaking, regulatory agencies and environmental law. Understanding the different levels (federal, state, local) of governmental responsibility for environmental protection will be explored in depth. Field trips and case studies will offer opportunities to see how science and policy interact in environmental issues. During fall quarter, we will develop an introduction to research design, quantitative reasoning and statistics.In winter, the focus will shift to a more global scale. We will examine in depth several major challenges for the early 21st century; forest and fish resources, global warming and marine pollution. These are three related topics that require an understanding of the science, politics and economics of each issue and how they interact with one another. Globalism, political and economic development and political unrest and uncertainty will be discussed within each topic as well as how these macro-level problems overlap one another. During winter quarter, micro-economics will be studied as a problem solving tool for environmental issues as well as an introduction to environmental economic analysis.The material will be presented through lectures, seminars, labs, field trips/field work and quantitative methods (statistics) and economics workshops. Labs and field trips will examine the organisms that live in aquatic systems, measure water quality and study local terrestrial habitats. Quantitative methods workshops will present the use of computers to organize and analyze data. Microeconomic principles and methods will provide the foundation for environmental economic analysis. | Amy Cook Ralph Murphy | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO | Fall | ||||
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Peter Impara
Signature Required:
Winter
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | How do we manage the habitat of mammals and birds, especially endangered species, in the Pacific Northwest? Mammals and birds are intelligent, complex animals that often have very specific habitat needs for successful living and reproduction. They interact in very elaborate ways with members of their species, other species, and with the landscape as a whole. A detailed understanding of habitat needs and how these habitats are distributed across the landscape is crucial to managing landscape to ensure future survival of particular species.This upper-division program will focus on examining and analyzing the habitat needs of specific species. Students will learn, develop and apply an intricate interdisciplinary suite of knowledge and techniques that include spatial analysis, ecological modeling, integration of scientific, legal and political information, and computer tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop habitat conservation plans for threatened and endangered species as listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.Students will learn about the natural history of specific mammals and birds of the Pacific Northwest and other regions. Habitat analysis will be conducted at the landscape scale, integrating the disciplines of landscape ecology with wildlife habitat analysis, wildlife biology, and habitat conservation planning. A final two-quarter project will be to develop and present a formal habitat conservation plan (HCP) for a threatened or endangered Pacific Northwest mammal or bird. Students will be required to understand and apply legal concepts associated with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (as amended) as well as develop an understanding of stakeholders’ concerns and related issues surrounding resource users that may or may not come into conflict with the conservation of their selected species.Lectures will cover the areas of landscape ecology, wildlife habitat analysis, wildlife biology, evolution, and habitat conservation planning. Guest speakers will present recent case studies and approaches to conservation planning. Field trips to locations where wildlife management and conservation are occurring will expose students to methods of habitat assessment, conservation and restoration. | Peter Impara | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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David Muehleisen and Paul Przybylowicz
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Program | SO–SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | S 14Spring | Do you want to produce food for yourself, your family and other families in your community? What does it take to grow food and feed yourself and others every day throughout the year? This three-quarter program (spring, summer and fall quarters) will explore the details of sustainable food production systems using three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental and social justice—as our lens. While our primary focus will be on small-scale organic production, we will examine a variety of production systems. Our focus will be on the scientific knowledge, critical thinking and observation skills needed to grow food using ecologically informed methods, along with the management and business skills appropriate for small-scale production.We will be studying and working on the Evergreen Organic Farm through an entire growing season, seed propagation to harvest. The farm includes a small-scale direct market stand and CSA as well as a variety of other demonstration areas. All students will work on the farm every week to gain practical experiential learning. This program is rigorous both physically and academically and requires a willingness to work outside in adverse weather on a schedule determined by the needs of crops and animals raised on the farm.During spring quarter, we will focus on soil science, nutrient management, and crop botany. Additional topics will include introduction to animal husbandry, annual and perennial plant propagation, season extension, and the principles and practice of composting. In summer, the main topics will be disease and pest management, which includes entomology plant pathology, weed biology. In addition, water management, irrigation system design, maximizing market and value-added opportunities and regulatory issues will also be covered. Fall quarter's focus will be on production and business planning, crop physiology, storage techniques and cover crops.Additional topics covered throughout the program will include record keeping for organic production systems, alternative crop production systems, techniques for adding value to farm and garden products, hand tool use and maintenance, and farm equipment safety. We will also cover communication and conflict resolution skills needed to work effectively in small groups.Topics will be explored through on-farm workshops, seminar discussions, lectures and laboratory exercises, and field trips. Expect weekly reading and writing assignments, extensive collaborative group work, and a variety of hands-on projects. The final project in the fall will be a detailed farm and business plan which integrates all the topics covered in the program.Books that may be used in the program include by Theriault and Brisebois, by Huelsman, by Smit, 3 ed by Magdoff and van Es, , by Damerow, by Costenbader, by The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.If you are a student with a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the faculty or the office of Access Services (Library Bldg. Rm. 2153 Program Coordinator ), PH: 360.867.6348; TTY 360.867.6834; E-mail: prior to the start of the quarter. If you require accessible transportation for field trips, please contact the faculty well in advance of the field trip dates to allow time to arrange this.Students planning to take this program who are receiving financial aid should contact financial aid early in fall quarter 2013 to develop a financial aid plan that includes summer quarter 2014. | David Muehleisen Paul Przybylowicz | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | |||||
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Kenneth Tabbutt and Alison Styring
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | , Latin for , is the root of riparian. Riparian zones are the interface between land and stream and are some of the most dynamic and fascinating geological and ecological systems on the planet. They are the boundary between biomes and an area of biological and hydrological diversity. This upper-division science program will focus on aspects of this unique environment. Students will learn about the hydrology of river systems and fluvial geomorphology and the animals that populate these corridors. Field studies and applied project work will be emphasized. Students will learn how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for analyzing and displaying spatial data. The program will include a week-long field trip around the Olympic Peninsula. | Kenneth Tabbutt Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||||
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Lucia Harrison
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Program | FR–SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | This is an art-based program that combines the study of stream ecology and visual art to provide a framework and tools to examine, observe, record, and know a place. We will explore the role of art and science in helping people develop a deep and reciprocal relationship with a watershed. Designed for beginning students in art and ecology, we will study the characteristics of local streams and make drawings that are inspired by a connection to a specific stream. The Nisqually River Watershed will be the focus for our collective work while the numerous local streams will serve as individual focal points for student projects throughout the quarter.Through reading, lectures and field study, students will learn the history of the watershed, study concepts in stream ecology, learn to identify native plants in the watershed and learn about current conservation efforts. They will develop beginning drawing skills and practice techniques for keeping an illustrated field journal. Students will work in charcoal, chalk pastel, watercolor, and colored pencil. Students will explore strategies for using notes and sketches to inspire more finished artworks. Students will study artists whose work is inspired by their deep connection to a place. Each student will visit a local stream regularly, keep a field journal, and in the second half of the quarter, students will create a series of artworks or an environmental education project that gives something back to their watershed. | Lucia Harrison | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||||
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Alison Styring
Signature Required:
Fall
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SOS | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | Students will work to become specialists on one or more taxonomic groups that occur in the Pacific Northwest. Through field study and literature research, students will develop identification guides and species accounts to post on the Evergreen Natural History websites. Students may conduct specimen-based research using The Evergreen State College Natural History Collections, and projects may also involve a field component. Skills will be developed in taxonomy and systematics, bioinformatics, museum practices, digital imagery for scientific illustration, field ecology and natural history writing. | Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||||
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Dylan Fischer and Paul Przybylowicz
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Program | JR–SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | F 13 Fall | W 14Winter | The Pacific Northwest is home to temperate rainforests, among the most biologically complex ecosystems in the world. How did these forests develop? How do they function? How do human activities affect them? Is sustainable harvest a reality or an oxymoron? We will use a biogeochemical lens to examine these forests, their effects on us and our impacts on them. Topics covered will include forest ecology, ecosystem ecology, soils, mycology, biogeochemistry, sustainable forestry and forest conservation.In fall quarter, we will explore how forests “work” through studying forest ecosystem science that includes both global and regional perspectives, with a focus on carbon and nutrient cycling. We will also examine the tremendous fungal biodiversity found within temperate rainforests, particularly the local forests of the Pacific Northwest. We’ll cover methods in forest biogeochemical measurement, fungal biology, taxonomy and advanced forest ecology.Human impacts on temperate rainforests will be the focus of winter quarter. We’ll focus on sustainable forestry, both theory and practice, along with an examination of soils and the life within them, which will deepen our understanding of forest function and the short- and long-term impacts of various forestry practices. These topics will merge as we explore carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems, which is an emerging component of “sustainable” forestry. We will explore current and past controversies in forest ecology related to old-growth forests, spotted owls and other endangered species and biofuels.Our program time will consist of field work, laboratory work, lectures, workshops and weekly seminars. Expect to research topics in the primary scientific literature and to summarize and share your findings with the entire class. We’ll cover various sampling techniques that are used to measure nitrogen, water and carbon in forested ecosystems. There will be ample opportunities for independent directed work, both individually and in small groups.In addition to one-day trips regularly scheduled throughout both quarters, there will be a 4-day field trip each quarter. In the fall, we’ll spend four days doing field research in temperate rainforests. In the winter, we’ll tour through the Pacific Northwest and visit a variety of managed and unmanaged forests. Plan to spend a lot of time in the field (and remember that every field day generates 3-4 days of work once we return). Students who may need accommodations for field trips should contact the faculty as soon as possible. | Dylan Fischer Paul Przybylowicz | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall |