Ecosystem Science and Management (ESM)

Ecosystem Science and Management examines the fundamental principles, knowledge, and strategies for minimizing human impacts on the environment and managing natural resources sustainability.  We will discuss key ecological concepts, including an understanding of key ecological processes, biodiversity and climate change, as well as approaches to community and stakeholder engagement. Students will gain a basic understanding of current theoretical frameworks and methodologies used to study and manage different ecosystems that is necessary for additional courses and research in ecosystem science and management.

This course focuses on developing a foundational and intuitive understanding of statistical models used in ecology that will prepare students for tackling their own research projects and taking more advanced statistical courses. Students will learn to critically evaluate and understand published ecological research, make decisions about their own analyses, and communicate their methods in scientific publications. The course develops from core statistical concepts (summary statistics, hypothesis testing, linear regression) to advanced concepts (generalized linear/additive models, hierarchical and mixed-models, spatio-temporal models) by discussing the underlying connections between models. The course covers designing an analysis to match a research objective, model assumptions, evaluation, and selection, and interpreting statistical results in an ecological context.