Wilderness as land use concept. Wilderness history, preservation, planning and management. Wilderness in the context of other land uses.

Introduces the ecology of grasslands using an synecolgical approach. Explores the effects of stressors such as temperature, drought, fire, and herbivory on plant morphology, physiology, reproduction, and growth. Covers life histories of common shrubs and descriptions of grassland communities used to promote understanding of synecological principles.

Ecological principles will be applied to understand contemporary issues related to wildlands, specifically the rangeland biomes that comprises over 50% of the earth’s surface (FAO, SRM, USDA ERS). Topics to be covered fall into the following categories: Fundamentals of Ecology; Animals (wildlife & livestock); Disturbance (e.g., invasive species, fire, mineral extraction, etc.); Ecosystem Goods & Services (e.g., carbon sequestration, watersheds, biodiversity, recreation, etc.). The course will largely focus on U.S.

Designed to acquaint the student with major land use practices on lands that produce wildlife, how these influences wildlife production and alterations or manipulations of habitat used to achieve specific wildlife management goals.