Restoration Ecologyis a 4 credit MES program elective offered Winter 2022. The field of restoration ecology is fairly young, relative to other scientific disciplines. However, ecological restoration has occurred throughout human history, as various cultures have initially disrupted and then attempted to recover vital ecosystem services provided by intact, functioning ecosystems. Identifying priority restoration targets for nearly any ecosystem is one of the largest challenges for the conservation community, as it requires a complex understanding of the historical, social, political and ecological influences on restoration success.
This graduate level course will explore both the objective and the subjective facets of restoration ecology, including various cultural perspectives on the value of restoration, how economic and political realities influence restoration targets, and the integrated structural and functional components of ecosystems that contribute to the success or failure of any restoration project. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to a 10-year restoration plan for a local conservation area, visit sites that are at different stages of the restoration process, and take part in an active ecological restoration project.
This course will include remote classroom meetings and in-person field trips to local restoration sites.
“Here is the means to end the great extinction spasm. The next century will, I believe, be the era of restoration in ecology.” – E.O. Wilson