Time Schedule:
Kern Ewing
ESRM 472
Seattle Campus
Wetland types and functions, global and North American distribution, wetland plant types, soil chemistry. The influence of stresses on wetland composition and form. Autecology of wetland plants; response to and detection of stresses. Impacts of urbanization; management techniques. Recommended: either BIOL 471, BIOL 472, BOTANY 354, or BOTANY 371. Offered: A.
Class description
How wetlands function, what sets them apart from uplands, how wetland soils are different from unflooded soils, how wetland plants are able to withstand both flooding, and in some cases salinity. The class is initiated by looking at why wetlands form where they do, and we take a tour of global wetland systems.
Student learning goals
How wetlands function, and how this results in different plants and animals living in them.
Where wetlands can be expected to be found in landscapes and regions.
How plants are able to live in flooded and saline environments.
How hydrology drives wetland characteristics.
How wetland restoration has been done in different environments.
What the major wetland systems in North America are.
General method of instruction
Lecture, images, field trips, a project.
Recommended preparation
Look at a basic text in plant ecology such as "Terrestrial Plant Ecology" by Barbour, Burk and Pitts.
Class assignments and grading
A project, which requires that you go to a wetland and make measurements. You may then compare the wetland to other wetlands, compare sites along a gradient, describe flora and fauna at similar or different sites.
Project report and two exams.
