Digital Commons Network^™

The Species Problem, Don Ugent

Ethnobotanical Leaflets

No abstract provided.

So You're Not A Natural Resources Major: Teaching A General Studies Course Focused On Forest History, Gary B. Blank

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

When compared to our undergraduate majors, students taking environmental courses to fulfill general education (or general studies) requirements have different knowledge bases, different interest levels, and different motivations for studying natural resources topics. Unlike foresters or wildlife managers or environmental scientists, typical business management, psychology, or accounting students are not inclined to memorize scientific names of X number of tree species or learn how to calculate hard mast yields per acre or care how to precipitate organic compounds from a sample solution. So how and what can we teach these students? How do these differences affect choices of appropriate teaching …

Integrated Natural Resource Planning, Dorthy H. Anderson, Dietmar W. Rose, Ken Brooks, Tom Burk, Howard Hoganson, Klaus Puettman

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Deciding upon management strategies and use of natural resources becomes more challenging as urban areas expand and human population and consumption levels continue to increase. Given that a larger urban population, interestingly, seems to demand both more resources (products) and greater environmental protection, there will no doubt be a coincident heightening of conflicts over natural resource management in the next century. Making decisions on natural resource allocation and use under such circumstances will become even more complex and difficult than they are today. Skilled people will be needed who can develop an integrated approach to natural resource management that sheds …

Sage On Stage Is Not Sustainable: Participatory Pedagogy For A Change, Roger Boshier

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

At the cusp of the 21st century natural resource educators face a bewildering variety of crises and contradictions. First, tomorrow does not replicate today, let alone yesterday. So not much is achieved by maintenance learning-the learning of fixed rules for recurring patterns. Secondly, learners are apt to behave like consumers and can secure access to education without having to endure the indignities of tyrannical teachers, capricious requirements, lectures or other manifestations of a "transportation model" of education. Thirdly, there is doubt about the extent to which "progress" can be wrought from the calm certitudes of "tested knowledge" and "objective" science. …

Fish Briefs And Buckets Of Fish: Conforming Ichthyology To Needs Of Students With Natural Resource Career Paths, Thomas G. Coon, Tammy J. Newcomb

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Traditional ichthyology courses often focus on objectives related to fish evolution and skills required for museum work. Students in natural resource disciplines often perceive these objectives and skills as having little relevance to their future careers. In some ichthyology courses, memorization of fish taxonomy and phylogeny may outweigh emphasis on the development of critical thinking skills. Guided by objectives to develop critical thinking and information gathering skills, we have developed two instructional methods that incorporate the practical needs of students in natural resource disciplines without sacrificing important subjects in the ichthyology course offered at Michigan State University. The first method …

Principles Of Wildlife Conservation-Testing Distance Delivery Methodologies, W. Daniel Edge, John Loegering, Penelope Diebel

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

In conjunction with faculty at Oregon State University, we developed a distance education course in two phases. During Phase I, conducted Spring of 1996, we used Oregon ED-NET (a simulcast satellite education system) to reach 143 students at 14 sites in Oregon. In the second phase, we offered the course nation-wide in a video format Spring term 1997 and enrolled 92 students at 13 sites. We will offer the video course again during Winter term 1998 following an expanded marketing plan. Our objectives in this paper are to present (1) course design and production information; (2) our experiences with satellite …

Forestry Curriculum Development At Chemeketa Community College: Methods To Ensure Student Success, Ara K. Andrea, Wynn W. Cudmore

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

To better prepare technicians for the future workplace, the National Science Foundation created a new program in 1994 that supported attempts to improve technical education across the nation. The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program promotes exemplary advanced technological education at the national and regional levels through support of curriculum development and program improvement. One of the ATE "Centers of Excellence," the Northwest Center for Sustainable Resources (NCSR), in Salem, Oregon, addresses improvement in natural resources education. Since its inception in 1995, the center has developed and revised curricula in forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and agriculture programs at five community colleges in …

Interdisciplinary Natural Resource And Environmental Policy Program At Utah State University, Joanna Endter-Wada, Richard S. Krannich

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

The Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Program at Utah State University (USU) is an interdisciplinary, graduate, educational program that has been developed since the fall of 1991. The program administers and awards a graduate certificate, sponsors invited speakers, oversees student policy presentations, and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration. The program has earned broad, campus-wide support and participation. All eight colleges at USU supported approval of the certificate program in 1994. At present, sixteen academic units are represented on its Faculty Advisory Committee, which oversees and makes decisions about the program. Fifty graduate students from fourteen academic units have pursued the Interdisciplinary Certificate …

Student Team Projects And Natural Resources Education: Are We Achieving Educational Objectives?, C. Paolo Ferreri, Caren E. Glotfelty, James C. Finley

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

As college instructors have recognized the benefits provided by cooperative and active learning, many have shifted from their traditional teaching style, dominated by lectures, to a new style where students work together and learn from each other as well as from the instructor. One strategy commonly used to implement cooperative learning in the classroom is to require students to work in teams to complete a class project. This strategy is particularly attractive to natural resources educators because natural resource issues are generally complex and interdisciplinary providing a natural setting for teaching concepts regarding natural resources ecology and management using student …

Natural Resource Management - The Creation Of A New Interdisciplinary Major At The University Of Delaware, Steven E. Hastings, Karen Roth Aniunas

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

The College of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Delaware has an excellent faculty and physical facility well positioned to educate students for managing the world's natural resources (air, land, water, pants, animals, etc.) into the next century. The college offers a variety of traditional, discipline specific undergraduate majors in five academic departments. A faculty committee worked for more than two years to formulate a new major with an interdisciplinary approach. The result is a new major, Natural Resource Management, which began admitting freshman students in the Fall of 1997. This paper will discuss the creation of the Natural Resource …

Linking Senior Forestry Courses, Larry A. Leefers, Jeremy S. Fried

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Learning has been described as a cumulative process that allows students to build knowledge and skills as they progress through their undergraduate programs. Courses offered at the senior level usually have prerequisites, or require concurrent enrollment in other courses. In the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University, we have recently started offering two senior-level courses concurrently (rather than sequentially): Forest Management and Natural Resources Planning and Policy. In an effort to better integrate our curriculum, we are building linkages between these courses based on content (to reduce redundancy), quantitative analysis, and data sets. Forest Management is taken mostly by …

Teaching Natural Resources 101 As Managing For Social Values And Human-Ecosystem Relationships, James J. Kennedy

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

From the beginning lecture in their Principles of Natural Resource Management course, College of Natural Resources students at Utah State University (e.g., wildlife/fisheries managers, foresters, geographers, rangeland managers or environmental studies majors) are taught that they will not just manage for ecosystems and not just for people, but for valued relationships between the two (Brunson and Kennedy 1995, Koch and Kennedy 1991). These people-ecosystem relationships generate social values that are communicated to managers by interrelated economic, sociocultural and political/legal systems for society living and (to a lesser extent) for generations of humans and other life-forms yet to be born. How …

Education's Role In Sustainable Development: Uganda's Kibale National Park, R. J. Lilieholm, K. B. Paul, T. L. Sharik, R. Loether

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Kibale National Park (KNP), located in western Uganda, offers a rich diversity of tropical flora and fauna. The Park’s mid-altitude, moist tropical forest supports 11 of Uganda’s 20 non-human primate species, some of which occur in very high densities. The region around KNP is home to seven national parks and numerous protected areas. Located within KNP is the Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS), with an extensive 25-year research history and a mandate to assist KNP in protecting the ecosystems of the region through management-relevant research. While KNP and MUBFS have received much visibility within Uganda, East Africa and the …

Student Authoring, Editing And Electronic Publishing, Aaron N. Moen, Spencer R. Hall, Thomas N. Moen

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Millions of term papers have been written by college seniors who will be writing reports and publications as part of their professional responsibilities soon after graduation. While most term papers are graded and returned to student authors, a former student shared the observation that "nothing less than an 'A' is acceptable on the job." Writing assignments can be made more meaningful by giving student authors responsibility for their writing similar to those professionals have; their work will be edited, read and used by others. Student papers were first published on the Department's Cooperative Learning Center (CLC) local area network in …

Kenya Model: Development And Implementation Of An Overseas Study Course On African Wildlife Ecology And Management, Kelly F. Millenbah, Henry Campa Iii, Scott R. Winterstein, Perez M. Olindo, Chiaki Nakamura

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

The brochure declares: "What better place to study a diversity of wildlife species and ecosystems than Kenya's spectacular National Parks and Conservation Areas?" Enticing! Exhilarating! A once in a life time experience! African Wildlife Ecology and Management in Kenya is an intensive two and a half week overseas study program offered by Michigan State University's (MSU) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Through this hands-on experience, students apply wildlife management principles to issues in Kenya's National Parks and Conservation Areas. Planning and coordination of this course requires a year's worth of thoughtful preparation in order to provide students with a dynamic …

Promoting The Scholarship Of Teaching: Results Of A Workshop On Enhancing Education In Wildlife Conservation, Mark R. Ryan, Henry Campa

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

We describe the justification, format, and assessment of a workshop "Enhancing Education in Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, Management: An Exchange of Ideas" facilitated at the Wildlife Society's Fourth Annual Conference. The workshop was designed to meet the professional development needs of college and university wildlife educators. Over 80 participants from academic and agency backgrounds attended a keynote address and breakout sessions to discuss pedagogical techniques and approaches to teaching specific wildlife course content. Breakout sessions on active learning in large classrooms, constructed controversies, and using writing in the classroom were identified by most participants as most important. The diverse backgrounds of …

Assessing The Wildlife Information Needs Of Forestry Professionals, Policy Makers, And Natural Resource Educators, Nancy A. Boriack, Edward C. Jensen, W. Daniel Edge

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of The Second Biennial Conference On University Education In Natural Resources, Carla G. Heister

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

No abstract provided.

Pbl - Making Natural Resource Education Really Real, Bob Ford

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

A major concern in education today is making the student learning experience relevant to facilitate workforce readiness. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional format which actively engages students in the learning process by requiring them to solve real-life problems (Arambula-Greenfield 1996, Norman and Schmidt 1992). Often times, however, the real-life experiences used are hypothetical and, as a result, simplify the problem to the point that the realness of the problem no longer exists (Nolan and Nolan 1997). Natural resource educators can make PBL activities real by having students work with local park and natural resource agencies to solve natural resource …

Audio Tapes Vs. Interactive Computer Software For Studying Bird Songs: The Value Of Active Learning, Mark R. Ryan, Bruce D. Dugger

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

We tested the use of audio tapes versus interactive computer software for learning of bird songs by undergraduate students at the University of Missouri. Overall final grades did not differ between semesters when audio tapes or computer software were used to study bird songs. Mean song quiz scores were higher (21.63 vs 19.48; 25 maximum, P=0.04) and mean quiz score variances lower (0.49 vs. 0.75, P=0.007) when students had access to interactive computer software than when they used audio tapes to study bird songs. Key factors affecting improved student performance seemed to be higher student interactions and peer teaching activity, …

Tree Of The Month: A Mentored, Web-Based Learning Experience, Edward C. Jensen

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

In Fall 1996 the College of Forestry at Oregon State University conducted a student-led retreat to discuss the need for mentoring in the university environment. It was attended by undergraduate and graduate students, by faculty and staff, and by a few members of the local professional community. We discussed what mentoring is (different things to different people), who needs it (we all do, but in differing amounts), who can provide it (we all can, but in different situations), and what college administrators can do to foster it (fund it!). The key idea that I took away from the retreat is …

Research And Training Opportunities At Makerere University Biological Field Station Located In Uganda's Kibale National Park, R. J. Lilieholm, T. L. Sharik, K. B. Paul

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Makerere University’s Biological Field Station (MUBFS), located in western Uganda’s Kibale National Park, offers excellent research and training opportunities in the physical, biological, and social sciences. This region of East Africa has exceptional natural and cultural resources, and is home to seven national parks and numerous protected areas. The Station can accommodate researchers and trainees year-round, and offers a wide range of facilities and services, including lodging, meals, laundry, phone, fax, e-mail, a library, and limited transportation and computer access. MUBFS is easily accessible, has a strong 25-year research record, and an extensive forest trail system. Uganda’s stable democratic system, …

Integration Of Ethics Into A Forestry Curriculum, David K. Lewis, Thomas Kuzmic, Edwin L. Miller

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Following a comprehensive review of their forestry curriculum in 1995, the Oklahoma State University Forestry Faculty elected to modify the way professional ethics are formally addressed. The modifications involve three courses. An introduction of ethics and their role in natural resource management is presented to freshman in an introductory course. This provides a framework for learning and applying the science and practices of the Forestry Profession in the context of an ethical philosophy. Students address ethics a second time between their sophomore and junior years. This happens during the initial summer camp course where students are exposed to philosophical and …

University-Based Courses In Human Dimensions Of Fish & Wildlife Management In The United States Of America: A Preliminary Inventory And Investigation, Donna L. Minnis, Robert A. Robertson, Judy Silverburg, Peter Pekins

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

No abstract provided.

Trees Of The Pacific Northwest: A Web-Based Approach To Forestry Education, Elizabeth A. Littlefield, Edward C. Jensen

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

Tree identification is a powerful vehicle for introducing people of varying ages and backgrounds to natural resources. For some it's a rewarding and delightful end in itself; for others it provides an important first step into the issues and practices of natural resource management. For most, it's an empowering skill they can share with others. For many, it's a black box process, filled with obscure terms, uncertain choices, and hidden characteristics.

Development And Testing Of Innovative Learning Techniques In Woody Plant Identification And Tree Biology, John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

No abstract provided.

Huckleberry Story: Building A Bridge Between Culture And Science, Bodie K. Shaw, Edward C. Jensen

Natural Resources and Environmental Issues

No abstract provided.

United States V. Eidson: Navigating The Way Toward Stiffer Penalties For Environmental Crimes, Kerri Ann Riley

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

The Extent And Condition Of Us Coral Reefs, Steven Miller, Steven Miller, Michael Crosby

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

The Occurrence Of Pcbs And Chlorinated Pesticide Contaminants In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In A Resident Community: Comparison With Age, Gender And Birth Order, Kathleen M. Kuss

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Tissue samples from twenty bottlenose dolphins from a stable, residential community of coastal dolphins in the western Gulf of Mexico were analyzed for toxic PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides. The tissues analyzed (blubber and melon) were from known individuals in a long-term (27⁺ y) study that stranded and were recovered for necropsy. Substantial demographic data were available on these individuals and utilized in the analysis of maternal transfer of organochlorines to young.

The male dolphins in this study were shown to accumulate organochlorine contaminants with age. In female dolphins the organochlorine levels were found to decline with age. These …