Natural Sciences

This course is designed to introduce students to the major sampling systems used in natural resources and ecology. It also introduces students to important sampling and measurement concepts in grassland, forest, wildlife, insect, soil, and water resources

Provides a foundation in terrestrial ecology. Organized around five topics: environmental biophysics, ecosystem carbon balance, ecophysiology, population ecology, community ecology. Examines how each contributes to understanding of distribution and abundance of organisms in biosphere. Laboratory exercises, a mandatory weekend field trip, and a group research project provide opportunities to explore questions in depth. Emphasis on building quantitative understanding of ecological phenomena.

Analysis of contrasting approaches to understanding and solving environmental and resource management problems. Case studies and hands-on problem solving that integrate concepts, principles, and practices from physical, biological, social, and economic disciplines. Their use in environmental policies and resource and management plans

Elementary concepts of physics with application to problems of environment, energy, pollution, biology, geology. Specific examples of the role of physics in contemporary social issues.

Basic biological and ecological principles discussed in relation to environmental disruptions. Human interactions with the environment; their meaning for animals and plants. Discussion of basic ecological processes as a basis for understanding environmental problems and formulating strategies for their solution

Physical and chemical properties of the environment; how they relate to pollution and environmental degradation. Students with weak backgrounds in chemistry should enroll for 3 units

An introduction to the unifying principles and fundamental concepts underlying our scientific understanding of the biosphere. Topics covered include the physical life support system on earth; nutrient cycles and factors regulating the chemical composition of water, air, and soil; the architecture and physiology of life; population biology and community ecology; human dependence on the biosphere; and the magnitude and consequences of human interventions in the biosphere.

Fundamentals of exploratory data analysis and hypothesis testing for environmental scientists, with emphasis on characterizing and evaluating uncertainty. Introduction to selected topics relevant to environmental analysis, including error propagation, design of experiments, and Monte Carlo methods. Microcomputer laboratories, using real environmental data, explore concepts and techniques presented in lecture.

Interrelationships between marine organisms and physical, chemical and geological processes in oceans.

Fluid dynamics, radiative transfer, and the kinetics, spectroscopy, and measurement of atmospherically relevant species are explored through laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and field observations. The course is intended for Earth and Planetary Science majors and minors, and for chemistry, physics, astronomy, biology, and engineering majors whose interests may lie in science applied to the atmosphere of Earth and other planets