Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program

Graduate Courses in Ecology and Evolution

On-line schedule of classes this has the most current listings, and everything you need to know about classes being offered. Select New Brunswick, Graduate, the semester of your choice, then choose Ecology (215)

New Brunswick Graduate Catalog Choose "Course Catalogs" from the menu on the left. Then Select "New Brunswick Graduate Catalog". We are Ecology and Evolution (215)

Rutgers University Academic Calendar

Courses from other programs and departments are listed at the end of the Ecology and Evolution Course List.

Courses

**Those courses listed in green are currently being offered.The semester and years they are offered follows the course description.**

16:215:506 . Estuarine Ecology (4)
Able . Sem. 2 hrs., lab. 3 hrs.
Fundamental study of aquatic organisms in the estuarine waters of coastal New Jersey; life cycles, food chains, and the relationships of organisms to one another.

16:215:507. Advanced Plant Systematics (4)
Struwe. Prerequisites: Principles of Botany or Vascular Plant Systematics.
A broad, evolutionary overview of major groups of vascular plants, from club mosses and ferns to conifers and flowering plants. Principles of classification and field identification, morphology and basic concepts in evolutionary studies in botany. Independent project.

--Offered fall semester.

16:215:510. Conservation Ecology (3)
D. Ehrenfeld
An examination of the underlying causes of the major threats to ecosystems and species. Biological, social and economic factors are considered. The role of universities and human communitites. Changing world vires and possibilities for constructive response.

--Offered fall semester every year.

16:215:513. Population Genetics (3)
Smouse. Prerequisite: Genetics.
Factors affecting gene frequencies in populations and leading to the origin of new species. An introduction to the analysis of continuously distributed polygenic traits.

--Offered on a varying schedule.

16:215:514 . Conservation Genetics (3)
Staff
Focus on applications of population genetic and quantitative genetic approaches to captive breeding and in situ conservation of endangered species. Genetic considerations intertwined with demographic problems facing species in decline resulting from habitat loss or fragmentation.

16:215:515 . Natural History of New Jersey (3)
Staff. Lec. 2 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: General biology.
Ecological aspects of the natural history of New Jersey. Field and laboratory studies of special use and interest to biology teachers.

16:215:520. Landscape Ecology (3)
Xu. Prerequisite: Univariate statistics.
Empahsis on spatial patterning, its causes, development and relevance to ecological systems. Conceptual and theoretical framework of landscape ecology as well as quantitative and modeling tools will be discussed.

--offered fall semester

16:215:521. Ecology of Invasions (3)
J. Ehrenfeld
Current literature on invasion ecology and invasive species is examined i this seminar that emphasizes
critical analysis and integration with current ecolgoical and evolutionary theory.

--offered every spring

16:215:525 . Ecology of Freshwater Organisms (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: Limnology or aquatic biology.
Detailed consideration of distribution, abundance, and metabolism of organisms in lakes and streams. An introduction to the theory and techniques of systems ecology.

16:215:528 . Behavioral Ecology of Fish (3)
Able. Prerequisite: 01:119:420.
An investigation into fish behavior, with emphasis on the ecological significance of migrations, reproduction, feeding, habitat selection, and antipredator strategies. Student research topics.

16:215:531 . Advanced Ornithology (3)
Staff
A study of avian biology, including taxonomy, population dynamics, and distribution of birds, and a critical review of current ornithological research. The laboratory consists of field and museum experience and independent research.

16:215:533. The Behavior of Animal Populations (3)
Burger. Prerequisite: Animal behavior or ecology.
Topics in ecological adaptations of behavior; emphasis on the population level. Student research topics.

16:215:546. Behavioral Genetics (4)
McGuire. Prerequisites: Background in genetics, behavior. Recommended: Statistics.
Single and multiple gene effects on behavior; methods of behavior-genetic analysis. Mechanisms of action of behavior genes. Darwinian considerations in behavioral evolution. Evolution of social systems.

16:215:550. Mechanisms of Evolution (4)
Hey, Handel. Prerequisite: Genetics.
Examination of the major elements and controversies of evolutionary theory. Emphasis on genetic variation, natural selection, adaptation, and speciation.

16:215:555. Ecology and Ecological Risk (3)
Burger
Principles of ecology and risk analysis, environmental hazards and resultant risk analysis.

16:215:565. Community Dynamics (4)
Morin
Patterns and processes involving sets of two or more coexisting species. Theoretical and empirical studies.

--Offered spring semester every year.

16:215:570. Molecular Evolution (3)
Hey
Evolutionary origins of DNA, theoretical and empirical aspects usinig DNA sequence data to determine evolutionary history.

16:215:575. Quantitative Ecology and Evolution (3)
Morin. Prerequisites: Calculus.
A survey of the application of multivariate statistical methods to the analysis of problems in ecology and evolution. Topics covered include cluster analysis, ordination, discriminant function analysis, canonical correlation, multivariate analysis of variance, and analysis of repeated measures.

--Offered on varying schedule usually in the fall semester

16:215:582. Topics in Sociobiology (3)
Power. Prerequisites: Genetics, ecology, and permission of instructor.
The application of Darwinian reasoning and the comparative method to the study of the evolution and expression of social behavior. Rigorous formation and testing of disprovable hypotheses emphasized.

- -Animal Social Behavior is currently offered (undergraduate) and may be taken in place of this course.

16:215:585. Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Modeling (3)
Xu. Prerequisites: College-level calculus and basic statistics.
Review of the background mathematical and statistical tools necessary in pursuing ecological and environmental modeling. General model formulation, validation, hypothesis testing, non-linear phenomena, and forecasting.

--Offered fall semester every year.

16:215:586. Ecosystem Modeling, Quantitative Analysis for Ecosystem Management (3)
Xu. Prerequisite: Intro. to Ecological and Environmental Modeling
Quantifying major ecosystem functions based on current knowledge and understanding of ecosystem processes and their interactions from cell to ecosystem scales. Major approaches on modeling photosynthesis, respiration, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, energy balance, stomal conductance and leaf area index will be introduced. Application of models to ecosystem management and global enviroment change will also be discussed.

--Offered spring semester every year.

16:215:588. Topics in Advanced Ecology (3)
Various faculty
Literature review and synthesis of a selected current topic in applied or theoretical ecology.

--No set schedule, faculty and topics vary by semester. Check the current Schedule of Classes online.

16:215:590. Population Ecology (4)
Staff. Lec./sem. 3 hrs., lab./field 3 hrs. Prerequisite : Ecology.
Population dynamics and demography, natural selection and evolution, life history strategies, population regulatory mechanisms, species interactions and coevolution, variability among populations and ecological differentiation, and island biogeography.

16:215:595. Coadaption of Plants and Animals (3)
Stiles. Prerequisite: Botany or ecology or evolutionary biology.
Introduction to coevolution, plant-herbivore interaction, pollination biology, seed predation, and dispersal.

--Offered on varying schedule.

16:215:597. Concepts and Methods in Evolution (4)
Kjer, Smouse, Stiles.
Lecture, laboratory and field survey of selested concepts in evolutionary biology. Different professors present a diversity of topics for discussion. Topics include predator-prey interactions, mutualisms, population variation, genetic structure of populations, spatial patterning, speciation, systematics and cladistics among others.

--Required core course for Ph.D. and Master's students in Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program.
--Offered fall semester every year.

16:215:598. Concepts and Methods in Ecology (4)
Hartman et.al.
An in-depth investigation of at least three current topics in ecology. Topics include both theoretical and applied examples; field work, lab exercises and term papers.

--Offered spring semester on varying schedule.

16:215:601; 602. Seminar in Ecology (1)
Program Director
Introductory seminar required for all first year Ph.D. ecology and evolution students.

-- Required core course for Ph.D and Master's students in Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program
--Offered fall semester every year.

16:215:599;600;603;604. Special Topics in Ecology (BA)
Various faculty
Topics vary by semester. Current listing can be found on the on-line schedule of classes. Topics in the past have included: Microbial Ecology; Selfish Genetic Elements; Field Ecology; Preserving NJ Open Space; Biology of the Ericaceae; Environmental and Cultural Behavior; and Experimental Ecology.

16:215:605;606. Advanced Problems in Ecology (BA)
Individual study in an area of expertise of the faculty.

16:215:607. Ecological Endcrinology

16:215:698. Molecular Evolution
Hey

16:215:650. Fundamentals of Ecosystem Ecology (4)
Various faculty
A critical review of ecosystem ecology, including biogeochemical cycles and budgets, ecosystem energetics, the theory and history of ecosystem ecology, and the response of ecosystems to disturbance.

--Interim course offered every January at Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY.
--Students must register through the Rutgers Registrar after being accepted into the course.

16:215:701,702. Research in Ecology (BA)

Graduate Courses in Other Programs

In addition to the courses taught by members and associates of the ecology and evolution program, there are many other courses of interest to ecology and evolution graduate students offered by the programs in entomology, environmental sciences, geography, geological sciences, meteorology, and plant science and technology, among others. The list below is by no means complete. Check with your advisor or the program director to verify that courses not listed will be counted towards your degree total.

In cases where a syllabus is available online it is linked. Other syllabi may be available in the E&E Graduate program office.

NEW BRUNSWICK CAMPUS

Undergraduate (Be sure to use the "G" prefix to receive graduate credit.)

Geology
01:460:453 Paleoecology (3)
McGhee
Evolution in an ecological context: analysis of ancient living systems; evolution of marine ecosystems in geologic time.

01:460:476 History of the Earth System (3)
Falkowski
Integration of atmospheric, oceanographic, geological and biological concepts with an historical perspective to introduce
the major processes that have shaped Earth's environment: climatic processes on geological time scales; the evolution of organisms; the cycling of elements; the feedbacks between the processes.
http://marine.rutgers.edu/ebme/HistoryEarthSystems/index.htm

Human Ecology http://humanecology.rutgers.edu/courses.cfm
11:374:308 Human Ecology of Maritime Regions (3)
Stoffle
The study of sociocultural factors affecting marine resource use, management, and conservation

11:374:312 Environmental Problems in Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspective (3)
Rudel
This course examines environmental problems from the historical perspective provided by our two centuries-long experiment with industrial civilization.

11:374:429. Forests and Culture in Latin America (3)
Baptista
The goal of this course is to introduce students to past and present land-use practices in Latin America. Students will gain familiarity with a number of contemporary research subfields addressing forest resource issues. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, we will consider the interacting human (i.e. social, cultural, economic, political) and biophysical dimensions of forest cover change in the region. Readings cover a variety of environments and social groups. Discussion topics include: forest disturbance regimes, the history of human settlement, diverse knowledge and classification systems (e.g. formal, traditional, local, indigenous), and different approaches to the economic development and conservation of forest environments (e.g. extractive economies, protected areas, sustainable development initiatives.

11:374:341 Social and Ecological Aspects of Health and Disease (3)
Chase
The sociocultural factors affecting health status and disease frequency in human populations.

Graduate

Anthropology

16:070:559. Evolution of Behavior (3)
Consideration of human and primate behavior from an evolutionary perspective. Topics include aggression, territorial behavior, sexuality and mating systems, socialization, and sex roles in primate society.

16:070:567. Human Variation (3)
Variation in body size, shape. Structural morphology, pigmentation, and biochemistry among living humans; climatic adaptation, disease, and human evolution; population origins through migration or local continuity through evolutionary time.

Entomology

16:370:511 Principles of Systematics (3)
Kjer
Lec. 2 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Taxonomy, species concepts, methods of contemporary systematic research, and zoogeographic analysis.

Offered fall semester

16:370:507. Biological Control of Insect Pests (3)
Gaugler.
Prerequisite: General ecology. The concepts and methods involved in the control of harmful insects and mites through the use of parasites, predators, and pathogens

16:370:524. Insect Taxonomy (4)
Lec. 2 hrs., lab. 6 hrs. Required core course. Insect systematics, identification, natural history, and evolution. Emphasizes North American insects at the family level.

16:370:525. Insect Ecology (3)
Prerequisite: General ecology. The relationship between insect populations and elements of the physical and biotic environment. Emphasis on principles governing population size, quality, and spatial and temporal variation.

Environmental Sciences
16:375:517 Applications of Aquatic Chemistry (3)
Reinfelder
http://envsci.rutgers.edu/~reinfelder/aquasyll.html

16:375:519 Wetland Ecology (3)

16:375:573 Soil Ecosystem Processes
Tate
Examine the soil properties that define the biological community, its function, and sustainability; clarify the primary biological principles supporting management options for improving and/or maintaining soil quality and general environmental health in native and endangered ecosystems.

11:375:453 Soil Ecology
Tate
Understanding the biological processes that occur in soil; evaluate the impact of the processes on total ecosystem stability and function

Geography

16:450:615. Seminar in Remote Sensing (3)
Remote sensors and their research capabilities. Research design for remote sensing studies.

Geology

16:460:538. Evolutionary Paleoecology (3)
McGhee
Prerequisite: 01:460:303 or equivalent
Seminar on the evolution of ecological systems in geologic time; application of evolutionary theory to paleoecological patterns and processes.

Biochemistry and Microbiology

16:681:502. Microbial and Molecular Genetics (3)

16:681:572 Microbial Ecology & Diversity (4)
Barkay
The course introduces students to microbial life in natural environments by focusing on the diversity of microbes and their interactions in soils, aquatic systems, the plant and animal body. Current issues in Microbial ecology and state-of-the-arts methodologies are stressed.
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~dbm/Microbial%20Ecology.html

16:681:580. Fundamentals of Molecular Genetics (3)

Physiology and Integrative Biology

16:761:520. Environmental Physiology (3)

Plant Biology
16:765:503 Methods of Plant Systematics (4)
Struwe
Hands-on course in plant systematics methods and techniques used in plant systematics , phylogenetics, and biogeography. Lab, software demos, and lectures will be intermingled with independent projects and discussions.

16:765:522. Applied Plant Science (3)

Statistics

16:960:582. Introduction to Methods and Theory of Probability (3)

16:960:590. Design of Experiments (3)

NEWARK CAMPUS

26:120:503 Plant Morphology (4)
Kasper

26:120:507 Computational Ecology (3)
Russell

26:120:516 . Microbial Ecology (3)
Ravit

26:120:522 Global Ecology (3)
Adams

26:120:523 Scales of Biodiversity (3)
Holzapfel

26:120:534 Biological Invasions (3)
Holzapfel

26:120:551. Biology of Pollution (3)
Weis

26:120:580 Topics in Marine Ecology (3)
Weis

26:120:593. Physiological Ecology (3)
Hamerlynck

26:120:616 Human Ecology (3)
Adams