Environmental & Resource Science

Lower Division Courses

6. Map Reading and Remote Sensing (3)
Lecture/discussion—3 hours. Basic skills in map reading, map grid systems, projections, aerial photography, photogrammetry, remote sensing sensors and platforms; the role of cartography and remote sensing in environmental analysis.—I.

10. California: The State (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: introductory geology or geography recommended. Introduction to geomorphology, physiography and natural resources of California. Interrelated impacts of terrain, climate and resources upon essential human activities. Analysis of the fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry guiding existing resource management policies. GE credit: SocSci.—I, III. (III.)

10G. California: The State (Discussion) (1)
Discussion—1 hour; brief essays. Prerequisite: course 10 concurrently. Small group discussion of
topics assigned for course 10. Preparation and discussion of essays. GE credit with concurrent enrollment in course 10: Wrt.—I, III. (III.)

47. Watershed Processes and Water Quality in the Tahoe Basin (2)
Lecture/laboratory—21 hours; fieldwork—9 hours; discussion—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: basic knowledge of environmental, soil, or hydrologic sciences. Course involves 3 days of instruction in Tahoe City. Watershed processes, runoff water quality management, and restoration in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Soils, precipitation-runoff, revegetation and adaptive management related to erosion control, effective solutions, and development of restoration strategies. Students develop and initiate field restoration. (Same course as Hydrologic Science 47.)—Grismer

60. Global Environmental Interactions (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: high school algebra and chemistry or biology. Relationships among climate, hydrology, biogeochemical cycles and vegetation distribution in diverse landscapes and biomes. Emphasis on physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting ecosystems from the poles to the equator. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—II. (II.) Southard, Zasoski

92. Resource Sciences Internship (1-12)
Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: lower division standing and consent of instructor. Work experience off and on campus in resource sciences. Internship supervised by a member of the faculty. (P/NP grading only.)

98. Directed Group Study (1-5)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Primarily for lower division students. (P/NP grading only.)

99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5)
(P/NP grading only.)

Upper Division Courses

100. Principles of Hydrologic Science (4)
Lecture—4 hours. Prerequisite: Chemistry 2B, Mathematics 16B, and Physics 7A or 9A. Topics include hydrology (surface and ground water), hydraulic flow through porous media, water in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, water quality, flow through open channels, and representative water-resource problems. GE credit: SciEng.—I. (I.) Grismer

100L. Principles of Hydrologic Science Laboratory (2)
Laboratory—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 100 concurrently. Principles governing water transport in pipes, soil, and rainfall runoff. Water quality concerns associated with salinity and contamination. GE credit with concurrent enrollment in course 100: Wrt.—I. (I.) Grismer

105. Principles of Cartography for GIS (4)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—6 hours. Properties and components of maps. Compilation and generalization of base-map data; projections; coordinate systems; reference ellipsoids; symbolization and processing of map data; cartographic design; typography; map production; and cartographic and photographic equipment utilized in producing maps.—III. (III.)

121. Water and Society (3)
Lecture—2 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Physics 10 or Geology 1. The role of water as an essential natural resource in contemporary society. Aspects of the scientific method, including descriptions of natural phenomena, measurement techniques, and predictive models. Supply and use of water for municipalities, agriculture, industry, wildlife and recreation. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—I. (I.) Silk

131. Air as a Resource (3)
Lecture—2 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Chemistry 10. Degradation of the atmospheric resource, historical aspects and effects of air pollution examined. Evaluation of primary gaseous and particulate pollutants and discussion of their impact. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—II. (II.) Flocchini

136. Chemistry of the Hydrosphere (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Chemistry 2B and an upper division course in soil science, hydrologic science, geology, or limnology. Chemical characteristics of water in the hydrologic cycle. Understanding processes and conditions regulating chemical composition of natural waters with particular emphasis on dissolved mineral constituents. Not open for credit to students who have completed Water Science 180 or Hydrologic Science 136. (Former course Hydrologic Science 136.)—III. (III.)

140. Culinary and Medicinal Herbs (3)
Lecture/discussion—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C. Growth, identification, cultivation, and use of common culinary and medicinal herbs; herbal plant families; effects of climate and soils on herbs; herbal medicine; ecology and geography of herbs; herb garden design; secondary chemistry of active compounds. (Same course as Plant Biology 140.)—III. Bledsoe

141. Role of Fire in Natural Ecosystems (4)
Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1B and 1C, upper division or graduate standing or consent of instructor; general ecology or environmental science course recommended. Fire regimes and roles in major North American vegetation types, especially in the west. Physics of fire, fire effects on organisms and ecosystem functioning, reconstructing fire histories, fire in resource management, and fire use by indigenous people.—II. (II.) Barbour

144. Trees and Forests (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1C. Biological structure and function of trees as organisms; understanding of forests as communities and as ecosystems; use of forests by humans; tree phenology, photosynthesis, respiration, soil processes, life histories, dormancy, forest biodiversity, and agroforestry. (Same course as Environmental Horticulture 144 and Plant Biology 144.)—I. (I.) Barbour, Berry, Bledsoe

173. Humans and Vegetation Change (4)
Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course 60, Geography 1, Environmental Science and Policy 30, or Biological Sciences 1C. Role of humans in modifying the earth’s vegetation. Emphasis on cultural-historical and ecological approaches to the evolution of wild landscapes, factors of plant distribution, mapping of vegetation, world vegetation patterns, human impact on major regions, and case studies of land-use and vegetation change.—II. (II.)

185. Aerial Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing (4)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—4 hours. Basics of remote sensing and photogrammetry, grids and map projections, aerial photo interpretation, sensors and platforms for aerial and space photography and non-photographic imaging systems, aerial thermography, microwave sensing, and introduction to remote sensing applications.—I. (I.)

186. Environmental Remote Sensing (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Mathematics 16B and Physics 7C or 9B; upper division standing. Overview of satellite, airborne, and ground-based remote sensing. Building on properties of EM Radiation, isotropic and non-isotropic scattering and absorption, examines applications in hydrologic processes, weather and climate, ecology and land use, soils, geology, forestry, and agriculture. Not open for credit to students who have taken Hydrologic Science 186. (Former course Hydrologic Science 186.)—II. (II.) Ustin

186L. Environmental Remote Sensing Lab (2)
Laboratory—4 hours. Prerequisite: course 186 with grade of C or better. Computer based analysis and visualization of digital images and image processing techniques. Continuation of course 186 providing theory and direct experience in digital image processing.—III. (III.) Ustin

192. Resource Sciences Internship (1-12)
Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: completion of 84 units and consent of instructor. Work experience off and on campus in resource sciences. Internship supervised by a member of the faculty. (P/NP grading only.)

194H. Senior Honor Thesis (2-6)
Independent study. Prerequisite: senior standing, overall GPA of 3.25 or higher and consent of master adviser. Two or three successive quarters of guided research on an environmentally related subject of special interest to the student. (Deferred grading only, pending completion of thesis.)

198. Directed Group Study (1-5)
(P/NP grading only.)

199. Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)