RNR 558: Ecosystem Ecology and a Sustainable Future

Rapid changes to Earth's biosphere will influence how natural and managed ecosystems function and alter the services they provide. Issues from conservation biology to sustainability and global climate change rely on a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem processes. In this class, students will learn the principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology, examining the influence of biological, ecological, and physical processes on energy and material flows and water and elemental (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous) cycling in ecosystems.  Graduate level requirements include an additional project and leading class discussions.