BIOL 262 - Natural History of the Pacific Northwest

Description:
Classroom, lab and flied exploration of the biological diversity of the Pacific Northwest. Emphasis will be on the natural history of local flora and fauna and their ecological and evolutionary relationships. Mat not be counted toward a major in the department of biological sciences.

Credits: (5)

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Recognize native species and apply biological concepts to current topics of personal and societal relevance
Recognize major biotic communities of the Pacific NW, and interpret patterns therein to deduce the level of human disturbance to native ecosystems.
Make observations and collect data in a field notebook, and then analyze those data to address hypotheses through the scientific method.
Use dichotomous keys, field guides, and other methods to identify organisms in nature and to infer patterns of biological diversity and evaluate ecosystem health.
Identify common organisms in native ecosystems of our region and infer ecosystem health from the presence or absence of those organisms.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
4/16/15