Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands: Introduction to Aquatic Ecosystems (UMBS)

Undergraduate credit

Field and lecture based introduction to the scientific study of rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Introduces basic physical/chemical/biological concepts and techniques; emphasized ecological literacy and seeks to develop interpretive skills and reasoning. Includes overview of aquatic fauna and flora, and a survey of the ecology of major types of rivers and streams, lakes, wetlands, and ocean estuaries. Interactions between the hydrological cycle, the landscape, and human activities provide the basic theme around which ecosystem presentations are organized. Lab sections develop basic chemical and biological identification skills during the first half of the course; the second half focuses on weekly field trips to representative ecosystems and their ecological evaluation.