BIOL 4020EZ - Introduction to Fisheries and Wildlife Management

Credits: 4 hours
Prerequisites: BIOL 1108 - Introductory Biology II
BIOL/ENVS 4010 is a four-credit course with lecture, laboratory, and field components. Introduction to Fisheries and Wildlife Management is an interdisciplinary course rooted in science that extends into history, policy, law, economics, education, outdoor recreation, communications, ethics, culture, and more. The course uses theoretical and applied knowledge to study the core scientific theories and principles of fisheries and wildlife management, such as evolution, ecology, behavior, and physiology. Course topics will Include management paradigms and decisions, habitat, population, and overabundant species management, and threatened and endangered species recovery. It will use real examples from around the world to introduce students to potential management challenges and step them through possible scenarios and approaches, teaching critical thinking, decision-making, and communication skills necessary for successful management. Students will gain hands-on experience with basic field skills and safety. They will work with topographic maps, Google Earth, fish sampling, wildlife cam trapping, vegetation suNeying, sampling, taxonomy, and identification. Students will interact with professionals from various agencies and organizations and visit aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Together with other related courses this will help prepare the students for employment in the profession or to be more responsible citizens for maintaining healthy, sustaining fishery and wildlife populations.