Time Schedule:
Kristiina Vogt
ESRM 101
Seattle Campus
Survey course covering forest ecosystems of the world, history of forestry and forest conservation, how forest ecosystems function, wildlife in forests, environmental issues in forestry, forest management, economics and products, and new approaches to forest management. Open to majors and nonmajors. Cannot be taken for credit if CFR 101 already taken.
Class description
ESRM 101A Forests and Society Spring 2013; NW/I&S and Writing Credit Option; M-F 1:30-2:20 ARC 147
Instructors: Kristiina Vogt (kvogt@uw.edu), Daniel Vogt (dvogt@uw.edu) Forests have and continue to play important roles in providing environmental services, human values and natural resources to societies around the world. Historically those groups who successfully dominated access to forests and their resources had considerable political, economic and social power. During the last three decades, highly polarized conflicts over resource uses and conservation have played out in forest landscapes because they are embedded in human landscapes. This course provides a road map of factors that need to be considered when making decisions in forests and uses case studies to explore these issues.
Specific topics to be covered are: Reverence, fear of trees/forests Characteristics of forests & human survival Historical and current uses of forests European over-exploitation of someone elses forests Democratization of forests uses Traditional & formal science management of forests American Indian Tribes and todays forests & wildlife Holistic management or traditional knowledge in a globalized world Human Development Index and global forests Soils or the unseen earth that nurtures societies Foods & medicines in forests Microbes, salmon and forest ecosystems Wars and forests History of interconnectivity, ecology and conservation of forests Disturbances and forests How society manages forest carbon cycles Forests, energy & the C cycle contrast to fossil carbon Forest sustainability & assessment Forest industry globalization & environmental repercussions Transformed forest products industry: Engineered products and lots of glue
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites or background needed for the course.
Class assignments and grading
Weekly homeworks due every thursday and quiz every two weeks covering material presented during the 2 week period, no final exam
50% of the class grade is from weekly homework answer 5 essay questions per week from 30+ questions provided for the lectures given during one week; Total of 10 homework assignment turned in during the quarter (due every Thursday in class) each homework is worth 5% of your grade.
50% of the class grade is from quizzes quiz every two weeks for a total of 5 quizzes each quiz worth 10% of your grade; no comprehensive exam
Service Learning = public service potential in over 20 organizations. If you pursue this opportunity, you get credits by (1) producing a video, diary or paper that communicates or messages the mission of an organization, and (2) any text you write up for this satisfies the writing credit requirement for class. NOTE: Writing Credit is not required but is an option for ESRM 101. The Service Learning Option also allows you to drop 1 quiz grade (your lowest) and 2 homework grades (your lowest). NOTE: You still have to take all quizzes and submit all homework. This is all possible while you have fun and help organizations to message their mission!!
