Temperate Rainforests: Ecology and Biogeochemistry

REVISED

Fall 2011 quarter

Faculty

Paul Butler geology, hydrology, earth science , Dylan Fischer forest ecology

Fields of Study

biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental studies and geology

Preparatory for studies or careers in

forest ecology, chemistry, geology and field research.

Prerequisites

Students must have at least one full year of organismal biology and at least two quarters of chemistry.

Description

Temperate rainforests are poorly understood and highly valued ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest and other coastal landscapes around the world. This type of ecosystem supports complex interactions among constituents of the atmosphere, the forest and the underlying geology. By focusing on the biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling of the forest, we will understand the interplay between the biotic and abiotic components of these ecosystems. We will examine the pools and fluxes of organic and inorganic nutrients as well as the processes that link them.

We will examine forest ecosystem science in temperate rainforests worldwide, and our lectures and field labs will emphasize the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula, with a three-day field trip at the beginning of the quarter. Students will gain field experience with group independent studies on campus and at remote sites. Students will acquire experience with various sampling techniques that are used measure nitrogen, water, and carbon in forested ecosystems in a single, intensive, multiple-week lab exercise on forest biogeochemistry. Weekly seminars will focus on reading a major forest-ecology textbook and and understanding scientific articles from the primary literature. Each student will develop a scientific research proposal throughout the quarter that requires the development of research and quantitative skills. Finally, controversy over forest management is an integral component of human interactions with modern temperate rainforests. We will explore current and past controversies in forest ecology related to old-growth forests, spotted owls and other endangered species, sustainable forestry, and biofuels. We will also visit local second growth forests to examine the impacts of sustainable forest management on temperate rainforest ecosystems. Readings and guest lectures will introduce students to major ecological issues for temperate rainforests.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

No Required Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Required Fees

$300 for two three-day field trips to the Olympic mountains (early Fall) and FJ Andrews Experimental Forest (late Fall).

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions