FRS 002 — Sec. 023 — (2 unit) — CRN 53900 — R 9:00 – 10:20am — 109 Wellman
Plant Ecology of the Northern California Coast Range

Instructor: Susan Harrison, Department of Environmental Science & Policy, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

Description: This course will provide an introduction to plant ecology, using the Coast Range region west of Davis as an example. Students will be introduced on field trips to some of the major plant communities of this region and observe how plant life is shaped by such factors as topography, soils, fires, and exotic species. We will consider the evolutionary adaptations of plants to climate and soils, and relate these to the evolutionary origins of California’s outstanding botanical diversity. We will also discuss relevant conservation and management issues, such as livestock grazing, prescribed fires, exotic species control, and land use changes.

Format: The seminar will meet on Thursdays (time 9-10:20), and take one all-day field trip (Saturday Oct. 15th departing 8am and returning 6pm). The in-class meetings will be devoted to short lectures, discussion of readings, and analysis of data collected on the field trips. Readings will be assigned weekly. Grading: Students will be required to prepare a short paper (5 pages) on a topic to be chosen in consultation with the instructor. The course grade will be based on the written paper (50%) and on of their participation in class activities (50%) with letter grading. Course limited to 16 students.

About the Instructor: Susan Harrison is on the faculty in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Her research interests include the population and community ecology of plants on serpentine soils, and the roles of fire, grazing, climate change, and invasion in plant communities.