2014–15 Academic Catalog

2014-15 Undergraduate Index A-Z

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Geology [clear]

Title		Offering	Standing	Credits	Credits	When	F	W	S	Su	Description	Preparatory	Faculty	Days	Multiple Standings	Start Quarters	Open Quarters
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies Dylan Fischer, Carri LeRoy, Abir Biswas, Erik Thuesen and Alison Styring agriculture botany community studies ecology environmental studies geography geology health hydrology law and government policy marine science zoology Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring		Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring		Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Environmental Studies. This independent learning opportunity is designed to allow advanced students to delve into real-world research with faculty who are currently engaged in specific projects. The program will help students develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills—all of which are of particular value for students who are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as for graduates who are already in the job market. studies in nutrient and toxic trace metal cycles in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. Potential projects could include studies of mineral weathering, wildfires and mercury cycling in ecosystems. Students could pursue these interests at the laboratory-scale or through field-scale biogeochemistry studies taking advantage of the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON), a long-term ecological study area. Students with backgrounds in a combination of geology, biology or chemistry could gain skills in soil, vegetation and water collection and learn methods of sample preparation and analysis for major and trace elements. studies plant ecosystem ecology, carbon dynamics and nutrient cycling in forests of the Southwest and western Washington. This work includes image analysis of tree roots, molecular genetics, plant physiology, carbon balance, nitrogen cycling, species interactions, community analysis and restoration ecology. He also manages the EEON project (blogs.evergreen.edu/eeon/). See more about his lab's work at: blogs.evergreen.edu/ecology. Students participating in this program work closely with ongoing research in the lab, participate in weekly lab meetings and develop their own research projects. conducts research on linkages between terrestrial and aquatic environments. She is trained as a freshwater ecologist and primarily studies in-stream ecosystem processes and aquatic communities. She and her students study leaf litter decomposition in streams as a major input of organic material to aquatic systems. In addition, she conducts research on aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure, aquatic fungal biomass and standard water quality and hydrology measurements in stream and river environments. studies birds. Current activity in her lab includes avian bioacoustics and avian monitoring and research in Evergreen’s campus forest and other nearby locations. Bioacoustic research includes field monitoring of local birds using bioacoustics methods and editing and identifying avian songs and calls from an extensive collection of sounds from the campus forest as well as tropical forest sites in Borneo. Local research projects in the campus forest and nearby locations include mapping and monitoring snags (standing dead trees) for wildlife use and monitoring bird populations and communities using a variety of standard approaches. conducts research on the ecological physiology of marine animals. He and his students are currently investigating the physiological, behavioral and biochemical adaptations of gelatinous zooplankton to environmental stress and climate change. Other research is focused on the biodiversity of marine zooplankton. Students working in his lab typically have backgrounds in different aspects of marine science, ecology, physiology and biochemistry.		Dylan Fischer Carri LeRoy Abir Biswas Erik Thuesen Alison Styring		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Environmental Analysis Abir Biswas, Carri LeRoy and Clyde Barlow biology chemistry ecology environmental studies field studies geology writing Signature Required: Winter Spring		Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring		Well-designed and accurate chemical, ecological and geological measurements are key to assessing the biogeochemistry of natural ecosystems. This is a field- and laboratory-intensive science program designed for students with solid preparations in general chemistry, biology, geology and precalculus math who want to pursue more advanced investigations of bio-geo-chemical systems. Students will study statistics, geochemistry, analytical chemistry, freshwater ecology and GIS programming. Instrumental techniques of chemical analysis will be developed in an advanced laboratory. Program work will emphasize quantitative analysis, quality control procedures, research design and technical writing.During fall and winter quarters, we will address topics in carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, in addition to analytical chemistry, GIS, statistics and instrumental methods of chemical analysis. Students will participate in group projects studying water quality, trophic structure, organic matter and nutrient cycling processes of local watersheds. Analytical procedures based on EPA, USGS and other guidelines will be utilized to measure major and trace anion and cation concentrations and weathering rates in natural systems, and to measure analytes and phytochemicals critical to quantification of leaf-litter decay processes and marine-derived inputs to ecosystem function in freshwater systems. Computers and statistical methods will be used extensively for data analysis and simulation, as well as for work with GIS.In the fall, there will be a week-long field trip to collect natural waters from diverse sites in Eastern Washington. These samples will form the basis for testing and evaluating chemical analysis methods and for developing a quantitative assessment of the geochemistry of the waters. In the winter, students will collect and analyze samples from a suite of ecosystem compartments (e.g., soil horizons, leaves, woody debris, streams, biota) to quantify nutrient storage and cycling on the landscape.Spring quarter will be devoted to extensive project work building on skills developed in the fall and winter. Students will conduct hypothesis-driven experimental design, sample collection, analysis, and statistical interpretations prior to presenting their results in both oral and written form to conclude the year.		Abir Biswas Carri LeRoy Clyde Barlow		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
River Resources Kenneth Tabbutt and Tom Womeldorff economics environmental studies geology hydrology political economy		Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day		W 15Winter	S 15Spring		River systems carry more than water. Rivers transfer energy, sediment and dissolved materials; modify the landscape; provide water and nutrients to ecosystems and agriculture. They are corridors for the migration of fish, facilitate commerce, and attract recreation and development.Because of the wide range of demands placed on rivers, laws and policies have been developed to limit and allocate how these resources can be used. Effective management of river resources is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring the application of knowledge in both environmental sciences and management. We will examine geology, hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and aqueous chemistry, environmental economics and benefit-cost analysis with an emphasis on how society has impacted some of the natural river processes. Our modes of learning will include seminars, lectures, problem-solving workshops, science and GIS labs, project work and field studies.In winter, we will focus on natural resource economics, physical geology and surface water hydrology. Quantitative problem solving will be emphasized. In addition, students will be introduced to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and develop skills in analyzing and displaying spatial data associated with river systems and drainage basins. There will be several daylong field trips to study local river systems in Western Washington.In spring quarter, we will turn our attention to fluvial geomorphology, aqueous chemistry and benefit-cost analysis. Students will participate in project work and there will be an extended field trip to the Columbia River Basin in Eastern Washington.		Kenneth Tabbutt Tom Womeldorff		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Winter	Winter Spring
Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry with A. Biswas Abir Biswas geology Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring		Research	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring		Rigorous quantitative and qualitative research is an important component of academic learning in Scientific Inquiry. Research opportunities allow science students to work on specific projects associated with faculty members’ expertise. Students typically begin by working in an apprenticeship model with faculty or laboratory staff and gradually take on more independent projects within the context of the specific research program as they gain experience. Students can develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, modeling and theoretical analysis, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking. These are valuable skills for students pursuing a graduate degree or entering the job market. (geology, earth science) studies nutrient and toxic trace metal cycles in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. Potential projects could include studies of mineral weathering, wildfires and mercury cycling in ecosystems. Students could pursue these interests at the laboratory scale or through field-scale biogeochemistry studies, taking advantage of the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON), a long-term ecological study area. Students with backgrounds in a combination of geology, biology or chemistry could gain skills in soil, vegetation and water collection and learn methods of sample preparation and analysis for major and trace elements.	geology and earth sciences.	Abir Biswas		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring