| Natural Resources |
NR 400 - Professional Perspectives in Natural Resources
Credits:
1.00
Lectures by departmental faculty provide an informal look
at the various natural resource disciplines and
professions represented by the Department of Natural
Resources. These presentations acquaint students with our
faculty and inform them of some of the exciting research
being undertaken in the department. Students also learn of
opportunities for professional involvement. Required for
all first-semester Natural Resources majors. Cr/F.
NR 401 - Introduction to Natural Resources
Credits:
4.00
Overview of the history, politics, economics, ethics, and
ecology involved with the conservation and management of
living and non-living natural resources. Sets the stage for
subsequent natural resource courses by introducing the
scientific basis for natural resource conservation and
management. Labs build confidence in map and compass work
and provide hands on field experience within the various
natural resource disciplines. Debates and discussions of
natural resource related hot topics provide opportunities
to practice public speaking, problem solving, and critical
thinking skills. Restricted to NR majors or by Permission.
Lab. Special fee.
NR 403 - Introduction to Environmental Science
Credits:
3.00
A multi-disciplinary introduction to Environmental
Sciences, presenting basic concepts and controversies in
geology, meterology/hydrology, global biology and
biogeochemistry, integrated through the study of the Earth
as system. Intended primarily for declared or perspective
majors in Environmental Sciences and related programs.
Combines lecture and discussion with discovery and
presentation experiences to address the history of ideas,
and major questions and controversies, both settled and
active.
NR 410 - Insects and Society
Credits:
4.00
Insects have had a major impact on human culture
throughout the centuries as source of food, an inspiration
in literature and art, and a driving force behind social
change. We study basic insect biology and ecology with a
focus on their relationships to humans. Special fee. Lab.
NR 415 - Global Biological Change
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the biological aspects of global change.
Includes historical and physical setting and emphasizes
current global biological issues including population
growth, land use and deforestation, biodiversity loss,
introduced species, industrial nitrogen fixation, changes
to the carbon cycle, and important interactions between the
biosphere hydrosphere and atmosphere.
NR 415H - Honors/Global Biological Change
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the biological aspects of global change.
Includes historical and physical setting and emphasizes
current global biological issues including population
growth, land use and deforestation, biodiversity loss,
introduced species, industrial N fixation, changes to the
carbon cycle, and important interactions between the
biosphere hydrosphere and atmosphere.
NR 425 - Field Dendrology
Credits:
4.00
Students study forest trees in natural communities and
urban settings. Identification and nomenclature of
important North American trees and shrubs is emphasized.
Environmental factors influencing tree growth, combined
with study of disturbance history, provide the context for
understanding why tree species grow where they do. Students
are introduced to the major forest regions of North
America. Restricted to NR majors; others by permission.
Special fee.
NR 426 - Wood Science and Technology
Credits:
4.00
Wood microstructure and identification: physical,
chemical, and mechanical properties; characteristics of
wood including those produced by growth and form (e.g.,
knots, cross-grain) and those produced by degradation
(e.g., stain, decay); focused on native and local species
of both softwoods and hardwoods; and the role of forests in
carbon storage. Special fee. Lab.
NR 433 - Wildlife Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Historical, biological, ecological, and sociological
factors influencing the wildlife resource and its
management. Concepts in populations, communities, habitat,
and contemporary wildlife issues. Special fee. Lab.
NR 435 - Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness
Credits:
4.00
Explores the impacts of technology and human activity on
our environment and natural resources. Key conservation
issues are used as examples of past and present biological,
social, and environmental conflicts.
NR 435H - Honors/Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness
Credits:
4.00
Explores the impacts of technology and human activity on
our environment and natural resources. Key conservation
issues are used as examples of past and present biological,
social, and environmental conflicts.
NR 444B - The Real Dirt
Credits:
4.00
Explores sustainable agriculture, regional and local food
supply and systems, land ethics and agrarian thought as a
natural resource and environmental conservation issue.
Focusing on northern and central New England, the course
uses the teaching of Aldo Leopold and includes hands-on
study of UNH's new initiatives in sustainable and organic
agriculture and the on-campus food system. A visit to
University farms is included. Writing intensive.
NR #444C - Dynamics of a Changing Earth
Credits:
4.00
The history and dynamics of the Earth as a system,
considered in 4 general areas: 1. The Solid Earth (age of
the Earth, plate tectonics and meteor impacts), 2. The
Climate System (general circulation, ice ages, El Nino), 3.
The Vegetated Surface (distribution of biomes,
biodiversity, human land use), and 4. Element cycles
(carbon, nitrogen, oxygen). The human role in modifying
natural processes is a crosscutting theme, leading to
discussions of current environmental issues.
Writing
intensive.
NR 444E - Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog: The World of Poisonous Animals
Credits:
4.00
Course examines a variety of animal poisons and venoms in
different contexts.
Historical, cultural, physiological,
pharmacological, and evolutionary viewpoints are explored.
Readings, guest lectures, and peer blog entries are used to
refine critical thinking skills and form the basis of
in-class discussions.
NR 501 - Studio Soils
Credits:
4.00
An overview of physical, chemical, and biological
properties of soil. Sub-disciplines of soil chemistry,
soil physics, soil microbiology, soil genesis, and
classification. Prereq: CHEM 403 or equivalent. Special
fee. Lab.
NR 502 - Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change
Credits:
4.00
Forest ecosystems cover a large fraction of the Earth's
land surface and account for most of its terrestrial
biological productivity. This course introduces forest
ecosystems around the world and explores both the natural
processes that regulate them and the environmental factors
that cause change over time. Topics include tree growth
strategies, successional change, nutrient cycling, and
human-induced stressors such as air pollution and climate
change. Special fee.
NR 504 - Freshwater Resources
Credits:
4.00
Major determinants of freshwater resources including
hydrologic cycle and water balance, precipitation,
stream-flow measurement, pollution, water supply and sewage
treatment, water resource management and regulation.
Special fee. Lab/field trips.
NR 506 - Forest Entomology
Credits:
4.00
Introduces insect biology, behavior, ecology, and control,
focusing on the forest environment. Labs include
identification to the family level and an insect
collection. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
NR 527 - Forest Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Introduces basic and applied ecology of forests, with
emphasis on ecosystem processes, including water, energy,
and nutrient cycles; biological interactions, including
biodiversity and plant-plant, plant-animal, and
plant-microbe relationships; and human impacts, including
forest management, land-use/land cover-change, and changes
in atmospheric chemistry. Prereq: PBIO 412 or BIOL 411.
Restricted to NR majors or by Permission. Special fee. Lab.
NR 542 - Forestland Measurement and Mapping
Credits:
1.00
Elementary measuring equipment and techniques; preparation
of maps; public land survey; court-house deed search.
(Forestry and Wildlife majors only.) Special fee.
NR 599 - Work Experience
Credits:
Work in the field of forestry; must be performed under
professional supervision or approved by natural resources
faculty. Students are responsible for arranging their own
experience. Restricted to Forestry majors. Permission. Cr/F.
NR 601 - Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Living Internship
Credits:
4.00
Practical internship and field experience in a location
removed from the University milieu to give the
environmental conservation student a dimension and insight
into sustainable resource management systems not available
in the campus experience. Prereq: permission. Cr/F.
NR 602 - Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
Credits:
4.00
Contemporary natural resource and environmental policy
problems/issues are addressed from a policy sciences
perspective with emphasis on domestic policy solutions.
Critical assessment of major policy initiatives and their
implementation toward sustainable resource use and a
healthy environment. Public policies are analyzed to
determine the extent to which their implementation
strategies have succeeded, and to assess their adequacy
within a bioregional or ecosystem approach, and/or capacity
to integrate economic and environmental decisions. Cases
include national and local policies in their global
context. Students apply public policy analysis and decision
tools in laboratory sessions. Prereq: junior/senior;
Restricted to NR majors or by Permission. Special fee.
Writing intensive.
NR 615 - Wildlife Habitats
Credits:
4.00
Introduces animal-habitat associations, including an
examination of spatial and temporal features of wildlife
habitat, the evolution of habitat selection, and how
habitat suitability/productivity is evaluated. Prereq:
woody plant identification; limited to wildlife management
majors and minors. Permission. Special fee. Writing
intensive.
NR 620 - Farm to Table: A Case Study in the Northern Beauce Region of France
Credits:
4.00
Course provides students a unique study abroad experience
that blends the study of agroecology with an on-farm stay
that allows them to see how food moves from the field to
table. Students participate in lectures, fieldtrips,
readings, and discussions on topics including agricultural
sustainability, agriculture and environmental health
(soil/water quality, biodeversity), the influence of
agriculture on the local ecology, and the relationship
between French agriculture and the current local food
movement in the U.S. They also get practical, on-farm
experience by assisting with the harvest and transport of
vegetables and edible flowers for the Paris market.
Permission required. Special fee.
NR 621 - Field Description of Soils
Credits:
3.00
Description of soils in the field. Application of soils
properties to forestry, plant science, and community
planning. Strong orientation to fieldwork. Special fee. Lab.
NR 625 - Physiological Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Course examines the physiological mechanisms and adaptive
responses of organisms that facilitate their survival in
changing natural environments. Following an introduction to
homeostasis and general physiological principles, topics
focus on adaptations to the marine and freshwater
environments, to estuarine challenges, and the specific
requirements of terrestrial and aerial environments.
Additional topics center on adaptations to extreme habitats
and to parasitic life styles. Furthermore, the
physiological bases of migrations, sleep, and mating/life
history strategies are also explored. Examples are drawn
from invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. Prereq: one
year college level biology.
NR 637 - Practicum in Environmental Conservation
Credits:
4.00
Independent participation in an environmental conservation
activity in the area of the student's specialization.
Individual or group projects may be developed under the
supervision of any faculty member within or outside natural
resources or with supervisors in public and private
agencies, upon approval of the course instructor. Research
projects not acceptable. Prereq: senior standing in the
environmental conservation program. Cr/F.
NR 640 - Wildlife Population Ecology
Credits:
3.00
An overview of the mechanisms that influence the
characteristics of terrestrial wildlife populations,
escpecially factors that infleunce rates of natality and
morality. Additional attention paid to community
interactions (especially predation, competition, and
invasive species) the roles of exploitation and the
influences of habitat loss and fragmentation. The course
concludes with an examination of populations and efforts to
restore them. Prereq: one course in general ecology;
wildlife major or permission of the instructor.
NR 642 - Introduction to Biogeography
Credits:
4.00
Biogeography is an integrative field of inquiry that unites
concepts and information from evolutionary biology,
ecology, systematics, geology, and physical geography.
Students are introduced to the distribution patterns of
wild animals and plants and to the factors that determine
these patterns. In this course, the emphasis is on
evolutionary aspects of biogeography, biodiversity, and
implications for conservation issues.
NR 643 - Economics of Forestry
Credits:
4.00
Intermediate-level analysis of supply and demand for
forest-based goods and services, managerial economics,
taxation, capital investments. Prereq: EREC 411 or ECON 402.
NR 650 - Principles of Conservation Biology
Credits:
4.00
Examines the major issues relevant to conservation of
biodiversity from the genetic to the ecosystem level. In
addition to addressing ecological and biological
principles, the interdisciplinary nature and challenges of
managing for conservation biology, including the role of
economic and social factors are examined. Prereq: one
semester of biology, botany, or zoology.
NR 655 - Vertebrate Biology
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the diversity and evolution of vertebrates.
Topics span the morphological, physiological, behavioral,
and ecological diversity among the major vertebrate taxa.
Labs stress identification of vertebrate taxa based on
specimens and morphological structures. Permission. Prereq:
BIOL 411; 412; or equivalent. Special fee. Lab.
NR 658 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the use of geographic information systems (GIS)
for natural resources and related fields. Data
models/structures, map projections, data
input/output/storage, data analysis/modeling,
interpolation, and data quality/standards. Hands-on lab
using ArcGIS software. Restricted to NR majors or
permission. (Also offered as GEOG 658.)
NR 660 - Ecology and Biogeography of New Zealand
Credits:
5.00
Covers the principles of ecology and biogeography, with a
distinct focus on New Zealand. Students investigate the
processes that have shaped the New Zealand landmass and its
biota. Impact of human settlement on New Zealand's
ecosystems is explored in-depth. Methods and techniques of
scientific research are incorporated in this course. Field
exercises focus on topical case studies in a variety of
ecosystems and are designed to strengthen students'
conceptual knowledge, enable students to apply this
knowledge, as well as develop field skills including
classification systems, mapping, habitat assessment, field
identification, and sampling techniques. Prereq:
junior/senior; permission. Coreq: NR 661, NR 662, and NR
663. Special fee.
Co-requisites:
NR 661, NR 662, NR 663
NR 661 - Restoration Ecology and Ecosystem Management in New Zealand
Credits:
4.00
Current restoration projects and strategies for management
of natural resources in New Zealand form the framework for
this course. Solving problems related to introduced
species, changes in habitat, the preservation of ecological
processes and watershed management are the major foci of
this course. Management of resources for multiple uses, as
well as primary and extractive industries is included.
Field exercises focus on topical case studies in a variety
of terrestrial and coastal-marine ecosystems and include
the identification of habitats and communities, stresses on
the environment, and risk analysis. Prereq: junior/senior;
permission. Coreq: NR 660, NR 662, and NR 663.
Co-requisites:
NR 660, NR 662, NR 663
NR 662 - Environmental Policy, Planning and Sustainability in New Zealand
Credits:
3.00
Introduces students to politics in New Zealand.
Investigating policy pathways and planning forms part of
the curriculum. Students assess scope of legislation,
including the Resource Management Act (1991), for the
economic and socio-political environment in New Zealand.
Government obligations to the Treaty of Waitangi, and
customary uses of resources are included as part of this
course. Students are exposed to diverse perspectives of
local authority planners and policy makers, local iwi
(tribes), the Department of Conservation, and community
groups. Students examine case studies involving the
resource consent process at several levels of
decision-making. Case studies provide a comprehensive
overview of the interactions between the environment and
people and their cultural and socio-economic needs. Prereq:
junior/senior; permission. Coreq: NR 660, NR 661, and NR 663
Co-requisites:
NR 660, NR 661, NR 663
NR 663 - Applied Directed Research in New Zealand
Credits:
4.00
Working closely with faculty, student teams investigate
selected ecological, resource management or policy issues.
All projects have scientific and societal relevance, and
contribute to ongoing/existing projects in the region.
Students use the scientific method to design and carry out
their projects. Development of rigorous field
investigations, experimental design, data analysis, and
scientific writing are emphasized. Students prepare a
research report and present their findings in a seminar
that includes stakeholders and people from the local
community. Prereq: junior/senior; permission. Coreq: NR
660, NR 661, and NR 662. Writing intensive.
Co-requisites:
NR 660, NR 661, NR 662
NR 664 - Conservation Genetics
Credits:
4.00
Conservation genetics is the application of genetics to
preserve species as dynamic entities capable of coping
with environmental change. Includes genetic management of
small populations, resolution of taxonomic uncertainties,
defining management units within species, and the use of
molecular genetic analyses to forensics and the
understanding of the biology of species. Topics include
methods of measuring genetic diversity in populations,
identification of the units of biodiversity to which
conservation efforts are directed, genetics of population
fragmentation, genetic management of wild and captive
populations, reintroduction of organisms back into the
wild, and the role of forensics in enforcement and
development of species recovery plans. Recitation. No
credit if credit received for GEN 705 or ZOOL 705.
NR 701 - 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. Writing intensive.
NR 702 - 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 703 - 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: NR
504 or 604 or permission. Special fee. Lab/field trips.
Writing intensive.
NR 706 - 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: BIOL 412 or PBIO 412, CHEM 403,
or equivalent, or permission. Special fee. Lab. Writing
intensive.
NR 707 - Environmental Modeling
Credits:
4.00
Environmental Modeling introduces students to a range of
key mathematical and computer 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
concepts and skills are presented together with
environmental information to emphasize the linkage between
quantitative methods and relevant scientific results.
Prereq: MATH 425.
NR 710 - Endangered Species Seminar
Credits:
2.00
Provides students with an interactive class of student
presentations and guest lectures by endangered-species
biologists. Emphasizes on biological, sociological,
economic, and political factors that influence
endangered-species policy. Prereq: basic ecology/biology;
permission. Special fee.
NR 711 - 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 collect field data
to summarize the structure and function of four wetland
types within a management context. Special fee. Lab.
Prereq: BIOL 541, or NR 703, or permission. Writing
intensive.
NR 713 - 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: intro. courses in calculus, statistics, and
ecology. (Not offered every year.) Writing intensive.
NR 716 - Wetland Delineation
Credits:
4.00
Examines 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 juniors, seniors, and working professionals. Field
trips. Special fee. (Offered summer session only.)
NR 718 - Law of Natural Resources and Environment
Credits:
3.00
Federal and state environment statutory and
administrative law, its application, strengths and
weaknesses, and options for future amendment.
NR 719 - 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 taken. 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 wetlands issues. Prereq: NR 711 or
permission. Special fee. Lab/field trips. (Not offered
every year.)
NR 720 - 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 species); global and regional
carrying capacity (population, resource consumption),
internationally shared ecosystems (transboundary watersheds
and 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.
Writing intensive.
NR 724 - 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: second-semester juniors, seniors; permission. Lab.
Special fee. Writing intensive.
NR 729 - Silviculture
Credits:
4.00
The science and art of establishing, growing, and tending
forests to meet multiple objectives. 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 730 - 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:
NR 527and PBIO 412 or BIOL 411, or permission.
NR #731 - 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 explores current strategies and trends, examines
EBM in theory and practice, and ultimately puts theory into
practice with a collaborative effort to design an EBM
governance strategy for a geographical region chosen by the
class. Prereq: permission.
NR 734 - Tropical Ecology
Credits:
4.00
This course introduces students to the ecology of different
tropical ecosystems, and involves students in analyzing
and interpreting ecological field data and remotely sensed
data. An important emphasis is to understand patterns and
processes across scales - from individual plants to
ecosystems and landscapes. The course also addresses
important global issues in the tropics, including climate
change, land use change, diverse ecosystem services, and
sustainable resource management.
NR 735 - 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. Prereq: senior
standing in the Department of Natural Resources and
permission. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
NR 738 - 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: senior wildlife majors or
permission. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
NR 740 - Inventory and Montoring of Ecological Communities
Credits:
4.00
Provides an introduction to the major concepts associated
with monitoring change in ecological communities. Students
develop an appreciation for such issues as: identification
of appropriate baselines for comparison; use of indicator
species; the tools used to inventory common, rare, and
secretive species; how trend data are analyzed; and the
implications of failing to detect an indicator species.
Restricted to senior wildlife majors others by premission.
Special fee. Lab.
NR 741 - Demographic Methods in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Ecology
Credits:
3.00
A survey of quantitative methods used to characterize
vertebrate populations. Emphasis placed on application
rather than theory. Estimators of survival, responses to
exploitation, and evaluation of physiological condition
relative to carrying capacity are reviewed. Atudents are
also introduced to computer models that are used to
simulate age-, stage-, and spatially-structured
populations, and how these models can be used to evaluate
population viability. Prereq: concurrent or previous
enrollment in a course in population ecology or
conservation, one course in statistics. Lab. Special fee.
NR 744 - 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 of
chemistry or permission.
NR 745 - 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 749 - Forest Inventory and Modeling
Credits:
4.00
Applied sampling and statistical techniques for assessing
current forest conditions and predicting future 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 751 - Aquatic Ecosystems
Credits:
4.00
Energy flow and nutrient cycling in streams, rivers and
lakes, with an emphasis on understanding the control of
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. Lab.
Special fee.
NR 757 - Remote Sensing of the Environment
Credits:
4.00
Practical and conceptual presentation of the use of remote
sensing and other geospatial technologies for mapping and
monitoring the environment. This course begins with the use
of aerial photographs (photogrammerty, and photo
interpretation) and includes measures of photo scale and
area, parallax and stereo viewing, object heights, flight
planning, photo geometry, the electromagnetic spectrum,
camera systems and vegitation/land cover mapping. The
course concludes with an introduction to other geospatial
technologies including digital image analysis, global
positioning (GPS), and geographic information systems
(GIS). Conceptual lectures are augmented with practical
homework assignments and hands-on lab exercises. Prereq:
algebra. Special fee. Lab. (Also offered as GEOG 757.)
NR 759 - Digital Image Processing for Natural Resources
Credits:
4.00
Introduces 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 757 or equivalent and permission. (Also offered
as GEOG 759.)
NR 760 - 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. (Also offered as GEOG 760.)
NR 765 - 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 767 - Earth System Science
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the study of Earth as an integrated system.
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. Emphasizes
the interactions and feedbacks within the system. The links
between components are 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.
NR 782 - Monitoring Forest Health
Credits:
4.00
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. May include assessing change-over-time,
landscape-level impacts of urban developments, 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 are investigated. Lab. Special fee. Permission.
NR 783 - 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 784 - 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 foot-printing, and gain an
understanding of system conditions necessary to move toward
sustainable living. Two required field trips. Special fee.
NR 785 - Systems Thinking for Sustainable Living
Credits:
4.00
Introduces 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 791 - Project in Environmental Science I
Credits:
1.00
First part of a two-course capstone project sequence for
Environmental Science majors. Intended for second semester
juniors, this course requires selection of a topic area,
and initial library and background research, leading to a
statement of the problem to be addressed. To be followed by
NR 792. Restricted to Environmental Science majors. Cr/F.
NR 795 - Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Investigations in Natural Resources may include topics in
environmental conservation, forestry, soil and watershed
management, ecosystems, and wildlife management. Permission
required. Special fee on some topics.
NR 795W - Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Investigations in Natural Resources may include topics in
environmental conservation, forestry, soil and watershed
management, ecosystems, and wildlife management. Permission
required. Writing intensive.
NR 797 - 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 799 - Honors Senior Thesis
Credits:
4.00
Honor/thesis students conduct an independent research
project, relevant to the student's area of specialization
in the major, under the direction of a faculty sponsor.
Students submit a research proposal, write a final report,
and provide an oral presentation. Two semester sequence; IA
(continuous grading) grade given at the end of first
semester. Restricted to Senior/Natural Resource Majors.
Permission. Writing intensive.