Undergraduate Ecology, Evolution, & Natural Resources Courses

Semester Availability	Courses Current Course Schedule
Fall	11:704:104. TOPICS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION (1 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Julie Lockwood Pre-Requisite(s): None One 80-min. lec. 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.
Fall	11:704:110. EVOLUTION, DISEASE AND MEDICINE (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Nina Fefferman Pre-Requisite(s): None Lec. 3 hrs. Together with 119:101 will fulfill the non-science majors SEBS Life Science requirement. Basic concepts in the theory of evolution will be introduced and applied in the context of discussion of human and animal disease and the medical treatment thereof. The course will cover infectious and non-infectious diseases and real-world applications of evolutionary theory to the practice of medicine.
Fall	11:704:211. THE NATURAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONS (P/NC 1 cr) Instructor: Dr. Edwin Green Pre-Requisite(s): None One 80-min. lec. 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.
Fall	11:704:217. PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Rick Lathrop Pre-Requisite(s): None Lec. 3 hrs. This course will introduce students to the applied discipline of natural resource management. This course will examine the principles of natural resource management through the lens of applying science and values to real world issues. After building on a foundation of key concepts, the course will use the Rutgers University Ecological Preserve as a real-life case study. Students will undertake field surveys/monitoring and be responsible for data collection, analysis and archiving.
Fall	11:704:269. EVOLUTION OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (3 cr) course website syllabus lecture schedule Instructor: Dr. Suzanne Sukhdeo & Dr. Michael Sukhdeo Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102, OR 01:119:103 OR 11:704:101. Lec. 3 hrs. Broad exposure to evolutionary theory and natural selection using examples from animal behavior. Not intended to be comprehensive in either evolutionary theory or in animal behavior, but rather to engender understanding of the principles of evolution, the basic terms and concepts in animal behavior, and the evolutionary and ecological processes that shape it.
Fall	11:704:272. DENDROLOGY (4 cr) syllabus lecture schedule lab schedule Instructor: Dr. Mark Vodak Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101 One 80-min. lec., one 280-min. lab.. 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.
Fall	11:704:302. PARASITE ECOLOGY (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Michael Sukhdeo Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs. The ecology and evolution of animal parasites, focusing on the ecology of disease, transmission dynamics, and parasite roles in community regulation and conservation biology.
Fall	11:704:303. PARASITE ECOLOGY LAB (1 cr) syllabus Instructor: TA Co-requisite: 11:704:302. The lab is a separate one-credit course but may not be taken without the lecture (11:704:302) at the same time.
Fall	11:704:324. INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (4 cr) Instructor: Dr. Karl Kjer Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102. Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Comparative study of representative non-vertebrates as a basis for understanding the diversity of animal life. The interrelationship between the structure of organisms and their evolutionary relationships will be covered.
Fall	11:704:332. PLANT ECOLOGY (4 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Steven Handel Pre(Co)-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102; or 103, and a course in organismic biology (some aspect of botany or zoology) Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs., field trips. 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. Lab includes greenhouse, field experiments, greenhouse collection, and "tweet" reports as well as the field trips and an exploration of plant biodiversity of the region.
Fall	11:704:360. ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Henry John-Alder Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs. The course addresses physiological topics from the perspectives of comparative, ecological, environmental, evolutionary, integrative, and organismal issues. Objectives are to understand: the diversity of life, with a particular focus on physiological functions that allow animals to live and thrive in in a range of environments; the breadth of the discipline of physiology and the importance of integrating physiology with ecology and behavior, and with cellular and molecular biology; and that evolution is the ‘fabric’ or biology.
Fall	11:704:365. ARBORICULTURE (4 cr) ~Taught on Even-numbered Years~ Instructor: Dr. Jason Grabosky Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs, one 80-min lab. This course considers the relationship of tree biology and management of trees in the developed landscape. Field exercises will compliment lectures for practical applications. We will discuss the theory and practice of managing individual tress in developed landscape and field assignments provide hands-on and realistic perspectives in the practice of professional tree care.
Fall	11:704:375. PRACTICUM IN WILDLIFE OR FORESTRY MANAGEMENT (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to 704 majors. Sign up only if instructed to do so by your advisor and after arranging a project.
Fall	11:704:377. PRACTICUM FOREST MANAGEMENT (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to 704 majors. Sign up only if instructed to do so by your advisor and after arranging a project.p>
Fall	11:704:401. EVOLUTION OF EUKARYOTES (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Lena Struwe & Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 and 11:704:251 or equivalent Two 80-min. lecs. This course will discuss the recent advances in our understanding of eukaryote origins and evolution. Phylogenetics, genomics, the role of horizontal gene transfers and the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondrion and plastid are some of the issues that will be examined in detail as they relate to ecology and evolution of eukaryotic organisms.
Fall	11:704:411. PLANT DIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION (4 cr) syllabus schedule Instructor: Dr. Lena Struwe Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs., lab. 3 hrs. 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.
Fall	11:704:416. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Jordan Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Lec. 3 hrs. An opportunity to foster ideas and discussion about environmental and scientific literacy while developing plans to target and assess learning goals for all audiences.
Fall	11:704:421. WETLAND ECOLOGY (3 cr) ~Taught on Odd-numbered Years~ Instructor: Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 or equivalent Lec. 3 hrs. An overview of the ecology, management, and function of wetlands. Current issues of wetland management and biological features of wetlands will be covered through classroom exercises and case studies.
Fall	11:704:431. FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING (4 cr) ~Taught on Odd-numbered Years~ Instructor:Dr. Ming Xu Prerequisites: CALC1, statistics, or permission of instructor. Two 80-min. lecs. 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.
Fall	11:704:450. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY (3 cr) ~Taught on Even-numbered Years~ syllabus Instructor: Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 or equivalent Two 80-min. lecs. Landscape ecology is the study of landscape patterns and their importance in conservation and management. This course provides an overview of the field through lectures, classroom exercises, case studies and computer labs with hands-on experience using state-of-the-art landscape analysis tools.
Fall	11:704:451. GLOBAL CHANGE ECOLOGY (3 cr) ~Taught on Even-numbered Years~ syllabus Instructor: Dr. Ming Xu Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 or equ. Given alternate years (2012) (fulfills SEBS Jr./Sr. Colloquium requirement) Lec. 3 hrs. 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.
Fall	11:704:456. TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (3 cr) ~Taught on Odd-numbered Year~ Instructor: Dr. Jason Grabosky Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:272 Lec. 3 hrs. This course explores the relationship of tree biology, anatomy and morphology with consideration of the environmental factors influencing the occurrence, structure and function of species and communities of trees. We will discuss implications for management, associated aspects of forest ecology and linkages of major North American forest types to varied environmental loadings and climatic shifts over time. As much time as possible will be spent outside at varied sites around Rutgers New Brunswick campus.
Fall	11:704:461. FIELD ECOLOGY (2 cr) Instructor: Dr. David Ehrenfeld Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 One 320-min. lab. Concepts of ecological organization developed through field experience in the principal habitat types of New Jersey. Emphasis on field application of ecological knowledge.
Fall	11:704:464. WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION (4 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Brooke Maslo Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 One 80-min. lec., one 280-min. lab. 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.
Fall	11:704:483. RESEARCH PROBLEMS ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND NATURAL RESOURCES (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Permission of advisor. Research projects in applied ecology under the guidance of faculty members.
Fall	11:372:232. FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOMATICS (3 cr) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Two 80-min. lecs. New technologies to make better use of geospatial data for environmental and natural resource analysis and management. Basic concepts, definitions, and examples of different applications used in an environmental planning and management context.
Fall	11:372:233. FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAB (1 cr) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): One 3-hr lab. Lab is optimal, but taking both courses satisfies the Computer Competency Requirement. There are also 11:372:3XX courses that can serve as 704 electives. Discuss these with your advisor.
Winter	11:704:475. WINTER FIELD ECOLOGY (P/NC 1 cr) syllabus Instrctor: Dr. Richard Lathrop Pre-Requisite(s): 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.
Winter	11:704:484. RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN APPLIED ECOLOGY (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Permission of advisor. Research projects in applied ecology under the guidance of faculty members.
Spring (SAS core)	11:704:101. INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION (3 cr) website syllabus schedule Instructor: Dr. Suzanne Sukhdeo Pre-Requisite(s): None (SAS Core Curriculum course) Two 80-min. lecs. This course provides the basic foundations for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes. The course covers natural selection, basic evolutionary theories, human evolution, population ecology, community ecology, biodiversity, biogeochemical cycling, global climate, and conservation biology.
Spring	11:704:240. BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGY (4 cr) course website syllabus Instructor: Dr. Joanna Burger Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102. Two 80-min. lecS & one 80 min. rec. 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.
Spring	11:704:251. FUNDAMENTALS OF EVOLUTION (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Lena Struwe & Dr. Siobain Duffy Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102. Two 80-min. lecs. The course will introduce students to the breadth of evolutionary biology, from micro to macroevolution, and cover topics from molecular evolution to the fossil record. Through lectures and readings, students will gain a basic and fundamental understanding of the evolutionary forces that have shaped all life on earth.
Spring	11:704:274. FIELD TECHNIQUES (4 cr) Instructor: Dr. Edwin Green & Dr. Rick Lathrop Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:272 One 80-min. lec. & Two weeks of field work. 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.
Spring	11:704:312. FOREST FIRE PROTECTION (1.5 cr) Instructor: TBA Pre-Requisite(s): Two 80-min. lecs Prevention, presuppression, and suppression of forest fires. Controlled burning. Enforcement of forest fire policy.
Spring	11:704:317. CONSERVATION ECOLOGY (3 cr) course website Instructor: Dr. David Ehrenfeld Pre-requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 or equivalent, and permission of instructor. Lec. 3 hrs. 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.
Spring	11:704:323. ORNITHOLOGY (4 cr) Instructor: Dr. Tom Virzi Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs.., lab. 3 hrs. Weekly field trips and two all-day field trips. The biology, ecology, and field identification of birds of the region.
Spring	11:704:325. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (4 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Julie Lockwood Pre-Requsite(s): 01:119:101-102 Two 80-min. lecs., lab. 3 hrs. Seven field trips required, including one two-day weekend trip and one evening trip. The classification, evolution, ecology, and life histories of the order and families of the vertebrates, especially of the eastern United States.
Spring	11:704:335. LIMNOLOGY (4 cr) Instructor: Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Limnology is the study of inland waters including lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Theoretical and applied aspects of limnology will be covered through lectures, classroom exercises/case studies, and labs involving several field trips.
Spring	11:704:351. PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY (4 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. David Ehrenfeld Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101 and 102 or equivalent Two 80-min. lecs., one 80-min. rec. Concepts underlying the organization of living systems. Environmental adaptations of species, population, and community dynamics, energetics, nutrient flux. Practical applications of ecological concepts.
Spring	11:704:369. ANALYTICAL METHODS ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION & NATURAL RESOURCES (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Edwin Green Pre-Requisite(s): 01:960:401 Open only to 704 majors. Cross listed with 11:372:369
Spring	11:704:375. PRACTICUM WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to 704 majors. Sign up only if instructed to do so by your advisor and after arranging a project.
Spring	11:704:376. PRACTICUM FISHERIES MANAGEMENT (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to 704 majors. Sign up only if instructed to do so by your advisor and after arranging a project.
Spring	11:704:377. PRACTICUM FOREST MANAGEMENT (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Graded on a P/NC basis. Open only to 704 majors. Sign up only if instructed to do so by your advisor and after arranging a project.
Spring	11:704:403. URBAN FORESTRY (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Jason Grabosky Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:272 or 275; 11:704:456 or permission of instructor One 80-min. lec., one 180-min. lab. 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.
Spring	11:704:405. EVOLUTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Siobain Duffy Pre-Requisite(s): 01:447:380 or equivalent or permission of instructor Two 80-min. lecs. This course surveys how pathogenic microorganisms have evolved, with an emphasis on understanding how the same evolutionary principles that we infer from large eukaryotic species can be concretely observed in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic parasites.
Spring	11:704:416. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Jordan Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101-102 Lec. 3 hrs. An opportunity to foster ideas and discussion about environmental and scientific literacy while developing plans to target and assess learning goals for all audiences.
Spring	11:704:428. CONVERSATIONAL MATHEMATICAL MODELING (3 cr) syllabus Instructor: Dr. Nina Fefferman Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:101 & 102 or equivalent. Lec. 3 hrs. This class is a very basic introduction to the tools and prespectives with little/no math background, but who aren't scared of equations and want to see how applied math can be useful in research science.
Spring	11:704:441. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Brooke Maslo Pre-Requisite(s): 01:119:103 or 21:120:102 or 50:120:102 or 62:120:102 Two 80-min. lecs. An understanding of animal behavior can improve such disciplines as wildlife ecology, veterinary science, conservation, wildlife management, and domestic animal production. Throughout this course, we will explore the basic principles of behavior, such as how animals defend resources, avoid predation, select mates, and care for their young. We will also study the evolutionary origins of these behaviors and review both the external stimuli and the hormonal and neural mechanisms that control them.
Spring	11:704:468. CHINA'S ECOLOGICAL, AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND GLOBAL IMPACTS (3 cr) Instructor: Dr. Ming Xu Pre-Requisite(s): Two 80-min. lec. This course will focus on major environmental and ecological issues in China in the past decades, such as pollutions, soil erosion, deforestation/reforestation, desertification and urbanization, as well as strategies to deal with the challenges. Driving forces, such as population pressure, economic growth, globalization, climate change and socio-politicial factors, will be examined through lectures and projects. The course will also introduce the growing opportunities (eg. business, private industry, academia and government agents) in environment and conservation areas.
Spring	11:704:484. RESEARCH PROBLEMS APPLIED ECOLOGY (BA) Instructor: Pre-Requisite(s): Permission of advisor. Research projects in applied ecology under the guidance of faculty members.
Spring	11:704:486. PRINCIPLES OF EVOLUTION (3 cr) Instructor(s): Dr. Peter Smouse Pre-Requisite(s): 01:160:161-162, 01:447:380. Not open to students who have taken 01:119:485. Two 80-min. lec. Theories, principles, and mechanisms of the evolution of cellular and organismic systems, with some attention to human evolutionary studies.
Spring (given 2012 only) (approved elective)	11:550:437:02. BIOLOGY OF INVASIVE PLANTS (3 cr) Instructor: Ari Novy Pre-Requisite(s): Permission of advisor. This is a seminar course focusing on all aspects of the biology of invasive plants. It is aimed for the advanced undergrad who is interested in problems of plant invasion and whose career paths may require them to manage or research plant invasions
Spring (2013)	11:704:488. RESTORATION ECOLOGY(4 cr) syllabus Instructor(s): Dr. Steven Handel Pre-Requisite(s): 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.
Summer	11:704:320. SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (3 cr) syllabus Instructor(s): Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 or equivalent Sustainable environmental management is the dominant economic, environmental and social issue of the 21st century. This course will use online materials (articles, papers, podcasts, video, etc.) to examine controversial topics like climate change, natural gas drilling, renewable energy, and others. Discussions will provide a forum for debate and further examination of the issues.
Summer	11:704:470. CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES (3 cr) syllabus Instructor(s): Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): 11:704:351 or equivalent This course is an introduction to the application of conservation and management theory. Online lecture material will present the principles and review the methods used for each approach. Case studies will illustrate how conservation actions were developed and applied. Discussions will evaluate the merits and limitations for each approach in theory and practice.
Summer	11:372:232. FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOMATICS (3 cr) syllabus Instructor(s): Dr. Marci Meixler Pre-Requisite(s): online course This course is an introduction to the new technologies to make better use of geospatial data for environmental and natural resource analysis and management. Basic concepts, definitions, and examples of different applications used in an environmental planning and management context.