Ecology and Natural Resources 704

Program Outline

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I. Interdisciplinary/Ethical Analysis (5 – 6 credits)
        11:015:400 Junior/Senior Colloquium (3)

II. Introductory Life and Physical Sciences
   A. Life Sciences (8 credits)
        01:119:101-102 General Biology (4,4)

   B. Physical Sciences (17 credits)
        01:160:161-162 General Chemistry (4,4)
        01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)
        01:750:193-194 Physics for the Sciences (4,4) or
        01:750:203-204 General Physics (3,3) and
        01:750:205-206 General Physics Laboratory (1,1)

III. Humanities and The Arts (6 credits)
        (See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.)

IV. Multicultural and International Studies (6 credits)
        (See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.)

V. Human Behavior, Economic Systems, and Political Processes (9 credits)
        (See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.)

VI. Oral and Written Communication (6 credits)
        (See suggested courses in the Degree Requirements chapter.)

VII. Experience-Based Education (no more than 3 credits)
All students are required to obtain practical experience in an area of ecology and natural resources. Students can complete this requirement in either of two ways. They can demonstrate appropriate employment or volunteer service with a public agency, private industry, or non-profit organization. Or they can, with their advisor’s permission, fulfill the requirement by research or field experience in suitable courses. A partial list of such courses is:

        11:015:497,498 George H. Cook Scholars Program (BA,BA)
        11:199:___ Cooperative Education (BA)
        11:300:487 Student Teaching (9)
        11:372:493,494 Special Problems in Environmental Resources (BA,BA)
        11:704:375 Practicum in Wildlife Management (BA)
        11:704:376 Practicum in Fishery Management (BA)
        11:704:377 Practicum in Forest Management (BA)
        11:704:483,484 Research Problems in Applied Ecology (BA,BA)

To receive credit for satisfying this requirement, students must, before starting their work experience, discuss their proposed course/outside work with their advisor.

VIII. Competence in Ecology and Natural Resources (59 credits)
    A. REQUIRED COURSES (18-19 credits)
        Quantitative Methods (7 credits)
       01:640:115 Precalculus College Mathematics (4) or
       01:640:1__ CALC1 or equivalent
       01:960:401 Basic Statistics for Research (3)

        Computer and Information Technology Competence
Students are expected to have or develop basic competence in the use of computers and their application in the field of natural resources. If basic computing skills need to be developed at Cook College, students should take 01:198:110 Introduction to Computers and Their Application (3) or equivalent. Students who enter Cook College with basic proficiency in the use of computers can meet the curriculum computing requirement by completing 11:372:369 Analytical Methods for Environmental Geomatics or 11:704:453 Natural Resource Biometrics. Consult the faculty advisor for the appropriate course selection.

        Professional Ethics
Ethical aspects of natural resources are incorporated into many of the advanced courses through case studies.

        Additional Course Requirements (11-12 credits)
       11:704:351 Principles of Ecology (4)
       11:375:251 Soils and Water (4) or 11:375:102 Soils and Society (3)
       01:460:101 Introductory Geology (3)
       01:460:103 Introductory Geology Laboratory (1)

    B. ELECTIVES (40-41 credits)
Courses chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor from among those listed under the electives of  this curriculum or logical extensions of the subject matter of these courses. Students must have the approval of their advisor or curriculum coordinator to substitute courses. At least 20 of the 40 (or 41) credits must be fulfilled by courses in ecology and natural resources (11:704). In general, courses that can be applied to learning about living systems and how they are managed are approved.

IX. Unspecified Electives (8–12 credits)

Courses (Spring in green, Fall in brown, both in green and brown)

11:704:101. INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION (3)
This course will cover the basic principles of Ecology and Evolution as they relate to daily life; global climate change, endangered and invasive species, emerging infectious diseases, energy, and human population growth.

11:704:104. TOPICS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION (1)
Not open to seniors. Seminar-type presentations by faculty members in the ecology and natural resources curriculum designed to introduce students to the curriculum's faculty and their areas of experience in conducting research and applying their research findings, and the importance of their research to society.

11:704:211. THE NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONS (P/NC 1)
One 55-min. lecture. Open only to students in professional resource management; others by permission of instructor. Survey of the profession of wildlife, forestry, and fishery. Guest lectures, class discussion, and field experience.

11:704:240. BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGY (4)
Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102.
Basic principles of animal behavior, including social behavior, animal communication, and physiological mechanisms underlying behavior. Topics include ethology, aggression, displays and communication, territoriality, and ethological view of human behavior. Motion pictures observe the behavior of fish, birds, reptiles, and primates.

11:704:272. DENDROLOGY (4)
One 80-min. lec., one 280-min. lab. Prerequisite: 01:119:101. Not open to first-year students.
Nomenclature, identification, ranges, and habitats of important native and naturalized trees of North America. Shrubs and vines important as wildlife food and cover. Forest regions and types, emphasizing the Middle Atlantic area.

11:704:274. FIELD TECHNIQUES IN ECOLOGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES (4)
Lec. 1 hr. Two weeks of field work. Prerequisite: 11:704:272.  One lecture per week followed by a two week field course; the latter runs 5 days a week, all day for two weeks following the close of the Spring semester (starting on a Monday). Students are immersed in two different ecosystems and learn fundamental aspects of forestry, field ecology, wildlife biology, entomology, remote sensing, and natural resource management.

11:704:302. PARASITE ECOLOGY (3)
Two 80-min. lecs. Prerequisite: 01:119:101-102.  The ecology and evolution of animal parasites, focusing on the ecology of disease, transmission dynamics, and parasite roles in community regulation and conservation biology.

11:704:312. FOREST FIRE PROTECTION (1.5)
Lec./lab.  Prevention, presuppression, and suppression of forest fires. Controlled burning. Enforcement of forest fire policy.

11:704:317. CONSERVATION ECOLOGY (3)
Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102 or equivalent, and permission of instructor.  Effects of technology and population growth on species, ecosystems, and human communities. Environmental impact of agricultural and industrial systems. Global environmental change. Biological and social underpinnings of conservation. Extensive scientific and nonscientific readings.

11:704:323. ORNITHOLOGY (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Weekly field trips and two all-day field trips. Prerequisites:01:119:101-102.  The biology, ecology, and field identification of birds of the region.

11:704:324. INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102.
Comparative study of some representative invertebrates as a basis for understanding the interrelationship between the physiological activity and the structure of organisms.

11:704:325. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Seven field trips required, including one two-day weekend trip and one evening trip. Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102.  The classification, evolution, ecology, and life histories of the order and families of the vertebrates, especially of the eastern United States.

11:704:332. PLANT ECOLOGY
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs., field trips. Pre- or co-requisites: 01:119:101-102; or 103,
and a course in organismic biology (some aspect of botany or zoology).  Study of plant life histories, populations, communities, and plant animal interactions (pollination, dispersal, herbivory). Evolutionary basis for plant ecological traits. Weekly field trips to representative habitats in the state, including a weekend trip. Lab includes greenhouse, field experiments, and library reports.

11:704:335. LIMNOLOGY (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102.  Interactions of biological, physical, and chemical factors in lakes and streams. Emphasis is biological.

11:704:351. PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY (4)
Two 80-min. lecs., one 80-min. rec. Prerequisite: 01:119:101 or equivalent. Concepts underlying the organization of living systems. Environmental adaptations of species, population, and community dynamics, energetics, nutrient flux. Practical applications of ecological concepts.

11:704:360. ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY (3)
Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102.  Organism-environment interactions with emphasis on the limitations that the physical environment places on normal function. Focus on responses of animals, including man, to extreme environments.

11:704:365. ARBORICULTURE (3)
Two 80-min. lecs., one 3-hr lab.  An overview of tree biology and practical techniques as they impact design, establishment, production, care, and management approaches in developed landscapes.

11:704:375. PRACTICUM IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (BA)
Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to professional resource management majors. Five days of fieldwork.  Practical experience in wildlife management under the direction of biologists working for state, federal, or private wildlife management agencies.

11:704:376. PRACTICUM IN FISHERY MANAGEMENT (BA)
Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to professional resource management majors. Five days of fieldwork. Practical experience in fishery management under the direction of fishery scientists of N.J. Division of Fish, Game, and Wildlife; National Marine Fisheries Service; or other appropriate state or federal agencies.

11:704:377. PRACTICUM IN FOREST MANAGEMENT (BA)
Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to professional resource management majors. Five days of fieldwork. Practical experience in forest management under the direction of foresters working for private industry; local, state, and federal government agencies; and in consulting capacities for landowners.

11:704:403. URBAN FORESTRY (3)
One 80-min. lec., one 180-min. lab. Prerequisites: 11:704:272 or 275; 11:704:456 or permission of instructor. Benefits and costs of trees, planning and design, soils, tree selection and nursery stock, IPM, composting, removal, wildlife; laws, finance, inventories, maintenance scheduling, planting. Field trips.

11:704:411. PLANT DIVERSITY AND  EVOLUTION (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102; 11:776:210. An overview of the evolution and diversity of vascular plants, from ferns to conifers and flowering plants. Field identification, morphology, principles of classification, and basic concepts in evolutionary research.

11:704:421. WETLAND ECOLOGY (3)
Prerequisites: 11:704:330 or 351 or equivalent, and permission of instructor.
Ecology, management, and utilization of wetlands. Basic aspects of wetland ecosystems and the nature of major types. Issues and problems of wetlands management and use.

11:704:431. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING (4)
Prerequisites: CALC1, statistics, or permission of instructor.
This course will review the background mathematical and statistical tools necessary for students interested in pursuing ecological and environmental modeling, and will discuss general model formulation, validation, hypothesis testing, non-linear phenomena, and forecasting. Topics include linear algebra, differential equations, statistical tools, regression and curve fitting, box models, and population dynamics models.

11:704:441. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (3)
Lec./rec. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 01:119:101-102; a course in physiology or permission of instructor. Recommended: Vertebrate or invertebrate biology and ecology.
Physiological foundations and principles of animal behavior, with particular emphasis on mechanisms underlying sexual behavior, feeding aggression, and behavioral development.

11:704:442. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR LABORATORY (1)
Pre- or co-requisite: 11:704:441. A laboratory to accompany 11:704:441.

11:704:450. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY (3)
Prerequisite: 11:704:351 or equivalent; pre- or corequisite : 01:960:401.
Overview of the concepts, methods, and applications of landscape ecology; causes, development, and importance of spatial patterning; ecological and anthropogenic aspects of landscape pattern and change.

11:704:451. ECOSYSTEMS ECOLOGY AND GLOBAL CHANGE (3)
Prerequisite: 11:704:351 or equivalent.  Analysis of the major global changes based on principles of ecosystems ecology; carbon, nutrient, and pollution cycling mechanisms and budgets; the methods used to study these phenomena.

11:704:453. NATURAL RESOURCE BIOMETRICS (4)
Two 80-min. lecs., one 180-min. lab. Prerequisites: 11:704:272, 274; 01:960:401 or equivalent.
Probability and non-probability based sampling schemes for natural resource attributes: traditional random-sampling techniques as well as model-based and probability-proportional-to-size techniques; estimation of parameters of natural resource populations.

11:704:456. TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (3)

11:704:461. FIELD ECOLOGY (2)
One 320-min. lab. Prerequisite: 11:704:351.  Concepts of ecological organization developed through field experience in the principal habitat types of New Jersey. Emphasis on field application of ecological knowledge.

11:704:464. WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION (3)
One 80-min. lec., one 280-min. lab. Prerequisite: 11:704:351. Quantitative analysis and understanding of the ecology, management, and conservation of game and non-game wildlife (terrestrial and aquatic). Population censusing and dynamics, harvesting, habitat requirements and fragmentation, conservation genetics, and managing protected areas.

11:704:475. WINTER FIELD ECOLOGY (P/NC 1)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.  A one-week, off-campus field experience in January, exploring the adaptations of temperate plants and animals to the harshness of winter.

11:704:483, 484. RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN APPLIED ECOLOGY (BA)
Prerequisite: Permission of advisor.  Research projects in applied ecology under the guidance of faculty members.

11:704:486. PRINCIPLES OF EVOLUTION (3)
Prerequisites: 01:160:161-162, 01:447:380. Not open to students who have taken 01:119:485.
Theories, principles, and mechanisms of the evolution of cellular and organismic systems, with some attention to human evolutionary studies.

11:704:488. RESTORATION ECOLOGY (4)
Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Pre- or corequisites: 11:704:330 or 332 or 351, and one course in plant or animal organismic biology (e.g., mammology, principles of botany, insect biology, etc.).
Study of the ecological processes that underlie the re-creation of a natural community. Habitat characteristics, life histories, reproductive ecology, biological invasions, mutualism, societal laws, and attitudes toward restoration. Field trips to representative restored habitats.