ENVR 163 Terrestrial Ecology and Biology builds upon the concepts from ENVR 162 with further studies of local forest ecosystems. Students will identify key forest structural components and study the role that disturbance (such as fire), environmental gradients, and competition play in defining a species' niche. Participants will also examine the role of primary and secondary growth, nutrient uptake, reproduction, and survival mechanisms for plants. Winter plant identification, ecosystem form and function, and plant adaptations to timberline will also be examined. A practical field based assignment will form a major portion of the term assessment. This project includes collecting the data in the field, entering and analyzing the data in the computer lab, and presenting the data in a written scientific report.
Prerequisites: ENVR 162 and ENVR 164 both with a minimum grade of 60%
Accessibility Services Notice
Students who would like an academic accommodation and who have a documented disability should contact Accessibility Services, if they have not already done so.Course Details| Total number of weeks | 15 |
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| Total Credits | |
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| Total Hours | 90 |
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Typical hours per week breakdown| Lecture | 3 |
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| Lab (lab, field, computer) | 3 |
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Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
- Stratify landscapes into ecological units
- Distinguish amongst natural disturbance types
- Describe forest structure and succession as a function of stand history and ecology in the dominant forest types of BC
- Identify the common southern interior shrubs species in winter
- Describe physiological plant processes and how these relate to a species’ performance in the ecosystem
- Apply standard methods for measuring forest ecosystems
- Describe the impact of fire and its role in forested ecosystems
- Analyze a data set using descriptive statistics
- Communicate scientific findings in a technical report
- Adopt a professional approach to classroom and fieldwork
Teaching and Learning Approach
One can expect to work in small groups collecting data but submit assignments independently. Peer and self-
evaluation tools will be taught and applied.Learning Resources
Kimmins J. P. 2004 or 1987. Forest ecology. Macmillan. New York, NY, USA.
Oliver C. and Larson B. 1990. Forest stand dynamics. McGraw Hill, New York, NY, USA.
Raven P., Evert R., and Eichhorn S. 1986. Population Biology of Plants. Worth Publishers New York, NY, USA.
Arno and Hammerly. 1984. Timberline: Mountain and Arctic Forest Frontiers. The Mountaineers. Seattle, USA.
Korner, C. 2003 Alpine plant life. Springer. Berlin. GermanyDetailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered
1. Course introduction, climate and biomes
2. Forest succession, disturbance and stand development; reproduction in plants
3. Environmental gradients, species interactions, and niche
4. The shoot system and primary growth
5. The root system and nutrient uptake
6. Midterm
7. Reading Week
8. Riparian Ecosystems
9. Energy and Nutrient Cycling
10. Earth Cycles
11. Climate Change
12. Fire Ecology
13. Case Study: Fire Ecology
14. ExamsAssessment
| Title | Learning Outcomes | Value |
|---|
| Task 1 Distinguish the characteristics amongst disturbance types (quiz) | natural 2 | 5% |
| Task 2 Appraise a forest stand for structure succession (questions) | and 1,3 | 5% |
| Task 3 Identify shrubs in winter [shrub table shrub quiz (6%)] | (4%) and 4 | 10% |
| Task 4 Midterm | 1-5 | 15% |
| Task 5 Technical Report Foundations Assignment | 3, 6 | 10% |
| Task 6 Perform field data collection (Labs) | 1,3,4,6 | 10% |
| Task 7 Integrated Term Project Report | 9 | 15% |
| Task 8 Demonstrate professionalism | 10 | 5% |
| Task 9 Final Exam | 1-9 | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Grading Table
Standard Academic and Career Programs Grading Table
| Percentage |
Letter Grade |
GPA |
| 90-100 |
A+ |
4.33 |
| 85-89 |
A |
4.00 |
| 80-84 |
A- |
3.67 |
| 76-79 |
B+ |
3.33 |
| 72-75 |
B |
3.00 |
| 68-71 |
B- |
2.67 |
| 64-67 |
C+ |
2.33 |
| 60-63 |
C |
2.00 |
| 55-59 |
C- |
1.67 |
| 50-54 |
P |
1.00 |
| 0-49 |
F |
0.00 |
| |
DNW |
0.00 |
See the Academic Calendar for General Information including how to withdraw from course(s) and other regulations.
Disclaimer
Information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication. Content of the course is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational, employment and market needs. The instructor will endeavor to provide notice of changes to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from courses.