Ruth Hufbauer
Description:Natural selection is a fundamental but often misunderstood concept in ecology and evolutionary biology. We will start by reading from the publications that laid the foundation for current approaches to studying natural selection (e.g. components of Endler�¢??s Natural Selection in the Wild, and Lande and Arnold�¢??s perspectives on measuring selection on correlated characters). Then we will turn to more recent papers on selection, from field measurements, including demographic analyses, to genomic evidence of selection.
Credits: 1
Restrictions:
First Meeting: 8/20/2013
Meeting Times: TBA, First meeting Tuesday Aug. 20th at 2:00.
Classroom: TBA
CRN: 60164
Section Number: 1
Cross Listed:
Enrollment Limit: 15
Background: Some background in evolutionary biology is necessary to get the most and contribute fully to this seminar.
Course Text: individual readings
Instructor Contact Info:
Ruth Hufbauer hufbauer@lamar.colostate.edu 970-491-6945
Cameron Aldridge, Sunil Kumar, Barry Noon
Description:This is a broad-ranging seminar course designed to expose students to the variety of quantitative and statistical techniques available to assess species-habitat relationships. Niche models are known by a variety of names including species distribution models, habitat relationship models, bioclimatic envelopes, and others. The concepts and application of these models are not new, although there are many new statistical algorithms to estimate niche relationships. They all rely on the concept of the niche�?�¢??the set of environmental conditions in which a species can survive and persist. They are particularly topical today because of concerns over the effects of climate change, energy development, and invasive species on the distribution and abundance of native species. Our goal is to expose students to a suite of different analytical approaches so as to give them a new tool set for future design of experiments and analyses of data. The course structure is one 50 minute period. The first portion of the class will consist of a brief introduction to a topic (~15 minutes). This is intended to cover some of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of a given statistical algorithm used for niche modeling, and provide an overview for a key paper we will read on the specific topic. The remainder of the class will be a discussion on the topic and the key paper(s), lead by that week�?�¢??s presenters (faulty or students). Students will lead one class presentation and discussion. Topics discussed in this course could include resource selection functions (RSFs), resource utilization functions (RUFs), occupancy models, Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models, count-based models (Poisson and negative binomial regression), survival models, Ecological Niche Factor Analyses (ENFA), classification and regression tree (CART) models, Movement Models, Bayesian Belief Networks, Maximum Entropy Models, Model Assessment and Evaluation, and more.
Credits: 1
Restrictions: Graduate students or permission of the instructor.
First Meeting: 8/28/2013
Meeting Times: Proposed: 10:00 - 11:00 am; to be discussed at 1st meeting.
Classroom: NESB B215
CRN: 60165
Section Number: 2
Cross Listed:
Enrollment Limit: 30
Background: None: student background in ecology will vary, but see the course description for the topics the course will focus on.
Course Text: None: scientific articles will be identified and discussed.
Instructor Contact Info:
Cameron Aldridge cameron.aldridge@colostate.edu 970-226-9433
Sunil Kumar sunil.kumar@colostate.edu 970-491-7056
Barry Noon brnoon@cnr.colostate.edu 970-491-7905
W. Chris Funk
Description:Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics are revolutionizing population and conservation genetics. Population genomics is the study of numerous loci to understand the roles of evolutionary processes (genetic drift, gene flow, selection, and mutation) that shape variation across genomes and populations. Conservation genomics is the application of genomics to address questions important in conservation and management. This course will focus on the growing literature in these related fields. The course format will be student-led discussion of the literature, with the goal of understanding the promise, limitations, and most exciting opportunities for using genomic approaches to address basic evolutionary and ecological questions as well as applied questions in conservation and management.
Credits: 1
Restrictions: Prerequisite: BZ 525 Molecular Ecology or BZ 578 Genetics of Natural Populations (or concurrent registration) or permission of instructor.
First Meeting: 8/29/2013
Meeting Times: Thurs 12-1PM
Classroom: TBA
CRN: 60170
Section Number: 3
Cross Listed: NA
Enrollment Limit: 15
Background: Must have an advanced background in population genetics
Course Text: NA
Instructor Contact Info:
W. Chris Funk Chris.Funk@colostate.edu 970-491-3289
Gillian Bowser, Karelyn Cruz - Agricultural Development Advisor
Description:What is the interplay between science and diplomacy in a world facing the greatest environmental challenge known? Here we will explore the nexus between science, policy and diplomacy in the context on managing species and ecosystem resources across international boundaries. The course will combine a series of lectures by U.S. State Department and USAID personnel (in person and online) on current treaty negotiations on species from tuna to migratory birds. Students can expect to learn how ecology interfaces with diplomacy and with several guest lectures by AAAS Fellows in Science and Diplomacy, they will also learn how PhD sciences work and interact in the diplomacy world. In addition, they will meet professional scientists and recent PhD graduates who have chosen to work in the science and diplomacy field. Text and reading materials will be from active negotiations and students will be expected to conduct analysis of actual UN treaties as writing assignments.
Credits: 1
Restrictions: graduate students or permission of the instructor
First Meeting: 1/30/2013
Meeting Times: wednesday 4 - 6
Classroom: NESB, B215
CRN: 10362
Section Number: 1
Cross Listed: Special Seminar series will be conducted in conjunction with visiting scientist
Enrollment Limit: 15
Background: ecology, political sciences
Course Text: scientific articles and negotiation text from the U.N.
Instructor Contact Info:
Gillian Bowser gbowser@colostate.edu 491-5871
Karelyn Cruz - Agricultural Development Advisor kcruz@usaid.gov
David Fanning, Michael Lefsky, Jamie Fuller
Description:Interactive Data Language (IDL) is an interdisciplinary, cross-platform, high-level programming language used to organize, analyze, and visualize complex numerical data. It is similar to MatLab, but has its origins in the analysis and processing of image data. IDL's array-oriented structure and general ability to read any type of data file makes it perfect for working with remote sensing data. This class will cover the basics of IDL programming with the goal of writing IDL programs that can be added to ENVI, a remote sensing application written in the IDL language, to extend its functionality. Topics will include the basics of IDL programming (defining parameters and keywords, program structure, graphics and file output, error handling, memory management, and algorithm development), plus object-oriented programming concepts and interactive (widget) program development. There will be an emphasis on image processing and/or working with satellite data. It is assumed the student is familiar with some kind of programming language, but prior IDL programming experience is not required.
Credits: 1
Restrictions:
First Meeting: 1/28/2013
Meeting Times: Monday 2-4
Classroom: NR CCL West
CRN: 10363
Section Number: 2
Cross Listed:
Enrollment Limit: 18
Background:
Course Text:
Instructor Contact Info:
David Fanning david.fanning@colostate.edu 970-221-0438
Michael Lefsky michael.lefsky@colostate.edu
Jamie Fuller jamie.fuller@colostate.edu 847-370-3788
Dennis Ojima, Shannon McNeeley
Description:This course will explore the conceptual and analytical frameworks, methods, and tools used to understand social-ecological systems in the context of climate variability and change. We will do this by exploring a set of natural resource case studies, and we will develop research plans to implement research on vulnerable communities and their natural resource assets. The intent of this course is to provide an interdisciplinary, integrated framework to address natural resource issues with a resilience-science based approach to deal climate driven transitions on ecosystem services and a more adaptive and sustainable management pathway. In working group and class discussions we will participate in a creative interdisciplinary activity to further understand and to apply the principles of resilience science and social-ecological system interactions to develop a framework for studying changing social ecological conditions affecting the sustainability of natural resources. Goal: The course goal is to explore useful frameworks that enable integrated analysis of social-ecological systems for natural management, which incorporate social adaptation and resilience principles to deal with climate and land use changes.. Purpose: Development of analytical frameworks, methods, tools, and research approaches which will lead to resilient social-ecological systems. These will incorporate concepts which lead to understanding how to manage systems through transitional changes of ecosystem services and climate impacts.
Credits: 2
Restrictions: Approval of Instructor
First Meeting: 2/5/2013
Meeting Times: TBD
Classroom: NESB B215
CRN: 10364
Section Number: 3
Cross Listed:
Enrollment Limit: 15
Background: Management of our natural resources in a sustainable manner is a growing challenge due to the complex nature of changing driving forces on and dynamics in social-ecological systems. New innovative solutions are needed to meet these societal challenges that will lead to sustainable natural resource use and managing for resilience under times of multiple changes.
Course Text: TBD
Instructor Contact Info:
Dennis Ojima dennis.ojima@colostate.edu 1-1976
Shannon McNeeley shannon.mcneeley@colostate.edu
Previous ECOL 592 course descriptions available on the Past 592 page.
