| Natural Resources |
NR 801 - Ecological Sustainability and Values
Credits:
4.00
Deeper more fundamental philosophical questions, including
spiritual values questions, are being asked concerning the
ecological/environmental challenge of our time; its causes
and resolution. Aspects of this challenge--environmental
education, energy, food, agriculture, and natural
resources--analyzed with ethics and values approaches.
Students develop ways of responding to problem
identification and resolution.
NR 802 - Workshops
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Short-term courses (generally a few days to two weeks)
offered off campus, covering a broad variety of
environmental and natural resource topics. May be repeated.
Special fee required depending on topic. Prereq:
permission required.
NR 803 - Watershed Water Quality Management
Credits:
4.00
Principles of land use as they relate to water quality and
quantity. Lectures focus on biogeochemical cycles and the
watershed approach to land and water resource management.
Labs and field trips focus on methods of water sampling and
analysis. One year of chemistry is recommended. Prereq:
freshwater resources or watershed hydrology, or permission.
Special fee. Lab/field trips.
NR 806 - Soil Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Examines the ecological relationships between soil
microorganisms and their biotic and abiotic environment,
with emphasis on the role of soil microorganisms in
biogeochemical cycling. Specific objectives are to examine
the biodiversity present in soil systems, factors
controlling microbial community composition and diversity,
and linkages between soil microbial communities, soil
physical properties, and soil organic matter and nutrient
cycling dynamics. Prereq: Introduction to principles of
biology, general chemistry or equivalent, or permission.
Lab. Special fee.
NR 807 - Environmental Modeling
Credits:
4.00
Environmental Modeling introduces students to a range of
key mathematical and comptuer modeling concepts and the
ways they can be used to address important scientific
questions. The course is divided into four topical
sections: Population and Community Ecology, Hydrology,
Biogeochemistry, and Ecosystems. In each section, modeling
ceoncepts and skills are presented together with
environmental information to emphasize the linkage between
quantitative methods and relevant scientific results.
Prereq: MATH 425. (Also listed as EOS 807.)
NR 810 - Endangered Species Seminar
Credits:
2.00
This seminar provides students with an interactive class
of student presentations and guest lectures by
endangered-species biologists. Emphasis is placed on
biological, sociological, economic, and political factors
that influence endangered-species policy. Prereq: basic
ecology/biology; permission. Special fee.
NR 811 - Wetland Ecology and Management
Credits:
4.00
Analysis of the natural resources of coastal and inland
wetlands and environmental problems caused by human use
and misuse of these ecosystems. Groups will collect field
data to summarize the structure and function of four
wetland types within a management context. Special fee.
Lab. Prereq: general ecology; watershed water quality
management;/ or permission. Special fee. Lab/field trips.
NR 813 - Quantitative Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Applied quantitative techniques: basic concepts in
probability and statistics applied to ecological systems;
population dynamics; spatial patterns; species abundance
and diversity; classification and ordination; production;
and energy and nutrient flow. Additional credit for
in-depth mathematical analysis of a particular topic.
Prereq: introduction courses in calculus, statistics, and
ecology. (Not offered every year.)
NR 816 - Wetland Delineation
Credits:
4.00
Examination of the soils, vegetation, and hydraulic
functions of coastal and central New England wetlands.
Students are responsible for the collection and
identification of aquatic plant species, description of
wetland soils, and delineation of wetland boundaries.
Lectures and fieldwork. For graduate students and
professionals. Special fee. Lab. (Offered summer session
only.)
NR 818 - Law of Natural Resources and Environment
Credits:
3.00
Federal and state environmental statutory and
administrative law, its application, strengths and
weaknesses, and options for future amendment.
NR 819 - Wetlands Restoration and Mitigation
Credits:
3.00
Assesses the problems of wetlands loss and learning how to
repair the damage. Asks what steps can be take. Does
restoration work, can habitat value be replaced, what
constitutes equivalent mitigation? Field experience and
theoretical background in restoring marine and freshwater
environments. First half of course involves field trips to
visit and sample mitigation and restoration sites. Second
half focuses on student projects using the scientific
method to address wetland issues. Prereq: NR 811 or
permission. Special fee. Lab/field trips. (Not offered
every year.)
NR 820 - International Environmental Politics and Policies for the 21st Century
Credits:
4.00
Students examine policies for managing human activities to
sustain the health of regional ecosystems and planetary
life-support systems. Selected problems of the
international commons (oceans, marine resources,
atmosphere, migratory migratory species); global and
regional carrying capacity (population, resource
consumption), internationally shared ecosystems
(transboundary watersheds, waterbodies, tropical forests);
and the relevant international institutions and politics
for policy formation, conflict resolution, and
implementation. Using a policy-analytic framework, students
develop case studies to assess international policies and
institutional arrangements to achieve the objectives of
Agenda 21--Earth Summit Strategy to Save the Planet.
Prereq: permission.
NR 821 - Ecology of Polluted Waters
Credits:
4.00
Impact of various water quality problems (e.g., excessive
nutrient loading, organic matter loading, contamination by
trace organic compounds) on the ecology of fresh waters,
including microorganisms, aquatic invertebrates, algae, and
fish. Design of impact assessment studies and data
interpretation. Prereq: applied statistics, watershed water
quality management. Special fee. Lab/field trips.
NR 824 - Resolving Environmental Conflicts
Credits:
4.00
Theories and practices of environmental dispute settlement.
Roles of public, non-governmental and governmental
organizations. Effectiveness of public participation
initiatives in influencing public policy decisions and/or
resolving environmental conflicts. Alternative approaches
to consensus (policy dialogues, joint problem solving;
strategic planning; negotiation, mediation) as well as
litigation. Specific cases are critiqued and evaluated;
conflict resolution skills are developed. Students observe
and/or participate in ongoing local decision processes.
Prereq: permission. Lab. Special fee.
NR 829 - Silviculture
Credits:
4.00
The science and art of establishing, growing, and tending
forests to meet multiple ojectives. Basics of forest stand
dynamics applied to the problems of timber management,
wildlife habitat, water quality, and carbon sequestration.
Prereq: NR 425 and NR 527 or permission. Special fee.
NR 830 - Terrestrial Ecosystems
Credits:
4.00
Processes controlling the energy, water, and nutrient
dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems; concepts of study at
the ecosystem level, controls on primary production,
transpiration, decomposition, herbivory; links to
Earth-system science, acid deposition, agriculture. Prereq:
forest ecology and introduction to botany or principles of
biology, or permission. (Also offered as EOS 830.)
NR 831 - Ecosystem Based Governance: Policies and Management Strategies
Credits:
4.00
Human stresses have and are taking their toll on the
health and integrity of ecosystems worldwide. More and
more commentators are stressing the need to switch from
traditional top-down natural resource governance strategies
to a broader ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach.
This class will explore current strategies and trends,
examine EBM in theory and practice, and ultimately put
theory into practice with a collaborative effort to design
an EBM governance strategy for a geographical region chosen
by the class. Prereq: permission.
NR 832 - Chemistry of Soils
Credits:
4.00
Chemical composition of soil; structure of soil minerals;
mineral solubility; contaminant sorption by minerals and
organic matter; cation and anion exchange processes; and
organic reactions in soil, their kinetics and their effects
on soil properties. Prereq: general chemistry or
equivalent. Special fee. Lab.
NR 835 - Land Conservation Principles and Practices
Credits:
4.00
Students gain practical knowledge, understanding and
experience in land conservation planning and
implementation of options for land protection based on
current practice in New Hampshire. By interacting with
practitioners, students learn what it takes to implement
successful land conservation projects, and conservation
stewardship requirements and practices. Permission. Special
fee. Lab.
NR 837 - Wildlife Population Dynamics
Credits:
4.00
Mechanisms that influence the characteristics of
terrestrial wildlife populations. Prereq: one course in
general ecology and statistics. Lab. Special fee.
NR 838 - Wildlife Policy and Management
Credits:
4.00
Local, regional, and national issues and strategies in
policy and administration. Contemporary issues including
land management, commercialization of wildlife,
overpopulation, endangered species, wildlife diseases, and
professionalism. Prereq: permission. Special fee. Lab.
NR 844 - Biogeochemistry
Credits:
4.00
Examines the influence of biological and physical
processes on elemental cycling and geochemical
transformations from the molecular to the global scale,
involving microorganisms, higher plants and animals and
whole ecosystems; factors that regulate element cycles
including soils, climate, disturbance and human activities;
interactions among the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere,
and atmosphere; transformations of C, N, S, and trace
elements. Prereq: one semester biology and two semesters
chemistry or permission. (Also offered as EOS 844.)
NR 845 - Forest Management
Credits:
4.00
Forest land ownership; management objectives; forest
inventory regulation and policy; forest administration;
professional responsibilities and opportunities. Restricted
to Natural Resources majors. Lab. Special fee.
NR 849 - Forest Inventory and Modeling
Credits:
4.00
Applied sampling and statistical techniques for assessing
current forest conditions and predicting furture growth,
yield, and structure. Topics include plot and point
sampling, ecological inventory, and evaluation of site
quality and stand density. Prereq: MATH 420 and BIOL 528.
Special fee.
NR 851 - Aquatic Ecosystems
Credits:
4.00
Energy flow and nutrient cycling in streams, rivers and
lakes, with an emphasis on understanding the control od
primary productivity, decomposition and community structure
by both hydrologic and biotic drivers. Role of aquatic
ecosystems in carbon and nitrogen budgets at watershed,
regional, and global scales. Impacts of environmental
changes such as global climate change and suburbanization
on aquatic ecosystems. Prereq: General Ecology.
NR 857 - Photo Interpretation and Photogrammetry
Credits:
4.00
Practical and conceptual presentations of techniques for
using remote sensing, specifically aerial photographs, in
natural resources. Includes photo measures of scale, area,
parallax and object heights; flight planning; photo
geometry; an introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum;
and photo interpretation and mapping. Concludes with an
introduction to digital remote sensing including
multi-spectral scanners, radar, and thermal imagery and a
brief discussion of geographic information systems (GIS).
Applications to forestry, wildlife, land-use planning,
earth sciences, soils, hydrology, and engineering. Prereq:
algebra. Special fee. Lab.
NR 859 - Digital Image Processing for Natural Resources
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to digital remote sensing, including
multispectral scanners (Landsat and SPOT) radar, and
thermal imagery. Hands-on image processing including
filtering, image display, ratios, classification,
registration, and accuracy assessment. GIS as it applies to
image processing. Discussion of practical applications. Use
of ERDAS image-processing software. Knowledge of PCs
required. Prereq: NR 857 or equivalent and permission.
NR 860 - Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources
Credits:
4.00
Theory, concepts, and applications of geographic
information systems (GIS) for use in natural resources and
related fields. Discussion of database structures, sources
of data, spatial data manipulation/analysis/modeling, data
quality standards and assessment, and data display/map
production including many examples and practical
applications. Hands-on lab exercises using ArcGIS 8.x
software. Permission. Lab.
NR 865 - Community Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Properties of biotic communities, especially biodiversity.
Effects of physical stress, disturbance, competition,
predation, positive interactions, and dispersal on
community properties. Community dynamics, including
succession and stability. Prereq: applied biostatistics and
general ecology. Lecture and discussion.
NR 867 - Earth System Science
Credits:
4.00
This course provides an introduction to the study of Earth
as an integrated system. It investigates the major
components (e.g. atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere,
hydrosphere, and lithosphere), dynamics (e.g., energy
balance, water cycle, biogeochemical cycles), and changes
within the earth system. Particular emphasis placed on the
interactions and feedbacks within the system. The links
between components will be presented by examining present
day processes and selected events in Earth's history. The
lab portion examines these concepts through the development
and use of computer models of Earth system processes.
Prereq: MATH 424B; MATH 425; or permission. Lab. (Also
offered as EOS 867.)
NR 880 - Earth as a System for Educators
Credits:
4.00
Exploration of the Earth as a system. Topics include
ecosystems, habitats, biomes, biodiversity, weather,
climate, water and air (environmental) quality, watersheds,
remote sensing, the flow of matter and energy through the
universe, water and nutrient cycles, wildlife
identification and monitoring, wetlands, seasons,
interdependence, and changes over time. Course focuses on
content being taught through Project WILD, WET, Learning
Tree and Project HOME activities. The GLOBE protocols are
an integral part of all lab exercises, and provide an
opportunity to learn science methods and content through
the use of classroom friendly techniques used to integrate
into units for elementary and middle school students. For
elementary and middle school teachers. Permission.
NR 882 - Monitoring Forest Health
Credits:
4.00
Course provides the field and remote sensing tools and
experience needed by students to assess forest conditions
at the individual tree and stand levels, as well as to
conduct independent research projects on specific topics of
interest. Such topics may include assessing
change-over-time, landscape-level impacts of urban
development, severe weather events, and other natural and
anthropogenic perturbations affecting the health of
forests. Forest damage due to insects, air pollution
(primarily ground-level ozone), drought, the 1998 ice
storm, and others will be investigated. Lab. Special fee.
Permission.
NR 883 - Forest Communities of New Hampshire
Credits:
4.00
A hands-on field course designed to introduce students to
the diverse forest community types of New Hampshire.
Topics include: 1) field identification of forest types
using different classification systems and keys; 2)
identification of characteristic plant and animal species;
3) the roles of climate, geology, soils, natural
disturbance, forest management, and biotic factors in
determining forest community type; 4) primary and secondary
succession, including old-growth. Prereq: One course in
ecology or environmental biology or permission. Special fee.
NR 884 - Sustainable Living
Credits:
4.00
Concepts of sustainability are explored in a
learning-community format. The importance of human
communication, sense of place and time, and the health and
longevity of the human species as part of natural systems
is emphasized. Students develop measures for sustainable
living, including ecological footprinting, and gain an
understanding of system conditions necessary to move toward
sustainable living. Two required field trips. Special fee.
NR 885 - Systems Thinking for Sustainable Living
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to systems thinking from a sustainable living
perspective. The course is a collaborative inquiry using a
problem-solving approach. After studying different types of
systems and learning a variety of tools useful in systems
analysis, we ask "In what ways can systems thinking be
employed to understand and begin to resolve the complex
problems that face us as we move toward living within
limits of natural systems?"
NR 897 - Special Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
An experimental course for the purpose of introducing a
new course or teaching a special topic for a semester in
an area of specialization in natural resources. Permission
required. Special fee on some sections.
NR 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 10.00
Usually 6 credits, but up to 10 credits when the problem
warrants. Cr/F.
NR 902 - Ecological Ethics and Values
Credits:
4.00
Increasingly fundamental philosophical questions,
including spiritual values questions, are posited
concerning the ecological/environmental challenge of our
time, its causes, and its resolution. Examination of these
questions, put forth with ethics and values approaches.
Students work to develop responses to both problem
identification and resolution.
NR 903 - Approach to Research
Credits:
4.00
The meaning of science and the application of logic in the
scientific method. Principles and techniques of scientific
research. Survey of experimental design procedures.
Organization of investigative work, problem analyses,
working plans, and scientific writing.
NR 910 - Forest Stand Dynamics
Credits:
4.00
Discussion and presentation on forest dynamics to include
soil-site quality evaluation, individual tree growth,
stand growth and yield, stand and forest management, and
related resource politics. (Not offered every year.)
NR 912 - Sampling Techniques
Credits:
2.00 to 4.00
Techniques of sampling finite populations in environmental
sciences; choice of sampling unit and frame, estimation of
sample size, confidence limits, and comparisions of sample
designs. Prereq: Applied statisics or equivalent. (Not
offered every year.)
NR 947 - Current Issues in Ecosystem Ecology
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Examines current issues in ecosystem ecology and
biogeochemistry by weekly discussion of primary research
articles. Topics covered include elemental interactions in
biogeochemical processes, mechanisms regulating nitrogen
losses from terrestrial ecosystems, and hydrologic-chemical
interactions in streams and groundwater. Cr/F.
NR 993 - Natural and Environmental Resources Seminar
Credits:
1.00 or 2.00
Presentation and discussion of recent research,
literature, and policy problems in the natural and social
sciences influencing resource use. Cr/F.
NR 995 - Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Investigations in Natural Resources may include topics in
environmental conservation, forestry, soil science, water
resources, and wildlife management. Permission required.
NR 996 - Natural Resource Education
Credits:
1.00
Responsibilities include set-up, teaching, and grading of
one lab section per week or equivalent lecture experience.
Required of all M.S. degree students in the department. Cr/F
NR 997 - Special Topics
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
An experimental course for the purpose of introducing a
new course or teaching a special topic for a semester in
an area of specialization in natural resources. Permission
required. Special fee on some sections.
NR 998 - Directed Research
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Student designs and conducts original research that
culminates in a paper of publishable quality. Alternative
to NR 899 for those choosing non-thesis degree option.
Cr/F. IA (continuous grading). May be repeated up to a
maximum of 4 credits.