This program is designed to provide a premier hands-on experience in 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, long term research sites, and elevation gradients. Students will participate in field trips to local and remote field sites and will develop multiple independent and group research projects in unique terrestrial ecosystems from local forests to the deserts of the American southwest.
We will work as a community to develop and implement field projects based on: 1) workshops in rapid observation and field data collection; 2) participation in large multiyear studies in collaboration with other universities and agencies; 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 learn to analyze ecological data through a series of intensive workshops on understanding and using statistics in ecology. Students will demonstrate their research and analytical skills through scientific writing and presentation of all group and individual research projects.
Specific topics of study will include community and ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, plant physiology, forest ecology, riparian ecology, fire disturbance effects, carbon cycling, insect-plant interactions, and ecological statistics. We will emphasize identification of original field research problems in diverse habitats, experimentation, statistical analysis, and writing in scientific journal format. All students will be expected to gain competency in advanced statistics and scientific writing. Contact the Faculty or see https://sites.evergreen.edu/fieldecology/ for updates on study locations for this year's program.
Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:
*4 - Applied Statistics I and II
*4 - Scientific Writing
*8 - Field Ecology
Registration
One full-year of college biology with labs, two quarters of college chemistry with labs, and and college-level precalculus, or calculus, or statistics. Ability to use plant taxonomic keys is especially encouraged.
Academic Details
$600 fee covers a two-week trip to the American Southwest (transportation and lodging/camping/park entrance, permits, and associated fees).
Upper division credit will be given for completion of all credit categories where learning is demonstrated with greater than 60% competency.