BIOL 50330 - Disturbance Ecology

In the current age of the Anthropocene, the geological age of human activity, ecosystems throughout the world are subjected to both natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire, floods) and anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., urbanization, dams, pollution). Over the centuries, the amount of anthropogenic disturbance has drastically increased, to the point that there are likely very few truly untouched ecosystems in the world. Thus, it is important for future environmentally driven professionals (really, anyone that will work with natural areas; conservationists, policymakers, etc.) to understand what are the causes and effects of disturbance, how ecosystems recover from disturbance events, and how disturbance can be used as a management tool. The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of these, and more, topics while also providing them with practical experience in disturbance ecology research and management.

Preparation for Course
P: BIOL 11700 and BIOL 21700.

Cr. 3.