Description:

Within the field of Ecosystem Restoration there has been an ever increasing demand on practitioners to make decisions regarding project design that is in keeping with larger ecological perspectives. This course will introduce learners to these larger issues and will cover topics including attributes of a restored ecosystem, reference communities, historical trajectories, novel ecosystems and basic landscape ecology surrounding form and function all within the context of ongoing climate change. You will explore and apply the fundamental steps involved in the completion of a site level ecological restoration project from the initial planning stages through to implementation and monitoring. The fundamental principles of adaptive management will frame the entire course and students will have ample opportunity to examine ecological restoration projects through field trips and case studies.