The Science of Carbon from Forests to The Globe

Carbon plays a critical role in both serving as the backbone of organismal chemistry and the center element in considerations of global climate change. Forests store more carbon than any other terrestrial biome on the planet, and play a critical role in regulation of planetary carbon balance. In this upper division science program we will explore the interdisciplinary intersection of chemistry, carbon science, and forest ecology in a year-long sequence. Accordingly, the program will examine the subject matter through the central idea that structure defines property and function, working at the scale of molecules in chemistry labs to the global scale in GIS and modeling exercises.

Students will learn: quantitative approaches and tools in forest measurements and inventorying carbon in forests; major concepts in biogeochemistry and human interactions with forests through management and alteration of global carbon cycles; structure, reactivities, and mechanisms of organic reactions; and the relationship between organic chemistry and biochemistry in the context of ecosystem science. Weekly class activities will include lectures, collaborative problem-solving workshops, instrumentation workshops, laboratories and field work. We will also read primary literature in the areas of environmental biology and chemistry. Throughout the year, students will acquire experience with various sampling techniques that are used to measure carbon in forested ecosystems, and lab exercises in forest biogeochemistry focusing on carbon flux. Chemistry laboratory activities will introduce fundamental and modern methods of organic chemistry, including synthesis methods and the use of chemical instrumentation to characterize organic compounds. Students will write formal laboratory reports and maintain laboratory notebooks. We will also cover broader concepts related to global climate change, forest ecology, and global issues in forest management and conservation.

We will have multi-day field trips to forested long-term research sites in the Cascade Mountains. During each trip, students will gain hands-on experience measuring forest attributes in a variety of different ecosystems, and visit sites that are playing important roles in understanding carbon science and carbon fluxes from the microsecond to century timescales. This program will also include weekly day trips where we will use local forests and The Evergreen State College Ecological Observation Network (EEON) to refine skills in measuring forests and detecting change using long-term data in forest ecosystems. Students will develop a scientific research proposal throughout fall quarter, and a research methods review in winter. Fieldwork skills, mastery of instrumentation, scientific writing, quantitative skills, work with common computer software (GIS and statistics packages), and presentation/communication skills will all be emphasized.

Finally, in spring quarter the program will be divided into two intensive offerings in chemistry (organic chemistry with laboratory 4 credits, biochemistry 2 credits, and chemical instrumentation 2 credits) and field ecology (8 credits). Continuing students may register for both chemistry and field ecology, or either alone. New students will also be allowed to register for the field ecology section. The chemistry section material will build on concepts and skills covered in fall and winter quarters. The field ecology section will include training in advanced statistics and conducting field experiments in remote locations. The field ecology section will primarily consist of intensive sessions in weeks 4-5, and 8-10 during spring quarter, and will otherwise be asynchronous. A required ~two-week field trip will be a major component of the field ecology section on May 20th – 30th (weeks 8-9). Week 10 will be spent conducting intensive data analysis and paper writing workshops as a class.  

By the end of the year, students will have gained essential skills for continued studies in chemistry and ecosystems ecology.

Fall Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

Forest Ecology (Fischer)
4 - Forest Measurements
4 - Forest Ecology and Biogeochemistry

Chemistry (McKinstry)
4 – Organic Chemistry I with Lab
4 - Biochemistry

Winter Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

Forest Ecology (Fischer)
3 – Soil Science
3 – GIS Science
2 – Scientific Writing

Chemistry (McKinstry)
5 – Organic Chemistry II with Lab
1 – Biochemistry
2 – Chemical Instrumentation

Spring Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

Forest Ecology (Fischer)
8 - Field Ecology

Chemistry (McKinstry)
4 – Organic Chemistry III with Lab
2 – Biochemistry
2 – Chemical Instrumentation