Fire on the Mountain: Geology and Forest Ecology on Cascades Volcanoes

This course will teach students about introductory geology, physical geography, and volcanology of the Pacific Northwest along with forest ecology and fire science. Students will get trained in big concepts, field methods, and GIS.

Forests are a key component of Pacific Northwest landscapes, and they have been continually shaped by natural disasters. Disturbances like fire and volcanic eruptions can have dramatic and long-lasting impacts on forests, and understanding these events is critical to understanding Pacific Northwest environments. We will examine natural history and physical geography together with disturbances like wildfire and the volcanic landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. We will have a particular focus on forest ecosystems, the natural history of forests, fire ecology, and volcanoes of the Cascades. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of forests by studying ecology, fire dynamics, geology, and plant identification. They will also learn quantitative forestry methods, develop essential field skills for assessing forest structure and carbon sequestration, and gain introductory GIS skills for mapping and navigating diverse landscapes.

We will also hold a weekly seminar on books that address human interactions with forests, and especially in the Pacific Northwest. The texts will cover the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, climate change, fire ecology, environmental history, and global issues in forest conservation.

This program will also include weekly field days where we will use local forests and The Evergreen State College Ecological Observation Network (EEON) as a living laboratory. A series of labs in the use of GIS will survey current use of remote sensing in ecology and teach students basic skills for navigating and interpreting GIS data in the context of carbon cycles and climate change. Scientific writing, quantitative skills, work with common computer software, field skills, and presentation/communication skills will all be emphasized. Finally, a multiple-day overnight field trip will allow students to measure and learn about local volcanic landscapes and recent wildfires firsthand early in the quarter.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

4 - Physical Geography

4 - Natural History

4 - Fire Ecology

4 - Introduction to Forest Ecology