The core theory and methodology for comparative biology, beginning
with issues in building phylogenetic trees, with emphases on both
morphology and molecules, and both living and fossil organisms. Also
covers the many applications of phylogenetic trees to systematics,
biogeography, speciation, conservation, population genetics, ecology,
behavior, development, functional morphology, and macroevolution
that have revolutionized those fields. Labs are closely integrated with
lectures and cover the major algorithms and computer software used
to implement these approaches. Requirements include participation in
discussions, two exams, and a term project.

Research projects and approaches in environmental science, policy, and management. An introduction to the diverse ways environmental problems are researched, comparing the approaches and methods of various disciplines represented among faculty and students. This course is the first of the core course sequence required for all ESPM graduate students.

Presentation and analysis of current topics in environmental science, policy, and management. This course is required for all ESPM doctoral students.

Seminars for the presentation and discussion of original work by faculty, visiting scholars, and graduate students. Core course for the ESPM graduate program.

This course will provide a rigorous, critical review of current research in animal behavior. Emphases will include hypothesis testing and experimental design, as well as methods of data collection and analysis. Each week, a student in the course will present original research in the form of a seminar presentation, grant proposal, or manuscript. Through discussion with seminar participants, presenters will gain critical feedback regarding their research.

This course will review the background mathematical and statistical tools necessary for students interested in pursuing ecological and environmental modeling. Topics include linear algebra; difference equation, ordinary differential equation, and partial differential equation models; stochastic processes; parameter estimation; and a number of statistical techniques. This course will be recommended as a prerequisite for advanced modeling courses in Integrative Biology, Energy and Resources Group, and Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

This course will review the background mathematical and statistical tools necessary for students interested in pursuing ecological and environmental modeling. Topics include linear algebra; difference equation, ordinary differential equation, and partial differential equation models; stochastic processes; parameter estimation; and a number of statistical techniques. This course will be recommended as a prerequisite for advanced modeling courses in Integrative Biology, Energy and Resources Group, and Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

The objective of the course is to explore major topics in animal communication. Topics each year will focus on a different sensory modality and range from visual, acoustic, and chemical senses. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the study of communication, over the course of the semester, we will draw on a variety of disciplines (including cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, neurophysiology, and physics) to understand the mechanisms, function, and evolution of communication.

Study and discussion of current topics in pathogen and disease ecology.

An introduction to natural resource spatial data analysis. Topics to be covered include spatial sampling, quadrat analysis, distance methods, spatial point patterns and Ripley's K function, spatial autocorrelation, and geostatistics (Kriging). Readings will cover applications in various natural resource fields as well as general theory.

Modeling methods in ecology and meteorology; stability analysis; effects of anthropogenic stress on natural systems. Offered alternate years.

Hierarchical statistical models include generalized linear mixed models, generalized additive mixed models, state-space models for time-series data, and random field models for spatial data. Introduction to formulation and analysis of such models with frequentist methods, including maximum likelihood via numerical integration and restricted maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods, including Markov chain Monte Carlo. Background in relevant probability theory.

This graduate course will combine formal lectures and discussion, with the overall goal of exposing students to general concepts in freshwater ecology. We will discuss a broad range of topics including freshwater environments and biota, natural selection and adaptive evolution, food webs and trophic cascades, cross-ecosystem linkages, and social-ecological resilience of freshwater ecosystems under global change. Upper division undergraduates are welcome, with permission of the instructors.

This course examines the comparative and global political economy of climate change, with a focus on the politics of climate change mitigation in the energy sector. Key themes are the choice of policy strategies and policy instruments, industry and climate policy, global institutions and collective action, markets and technological change, and economic and geo-political transformations in response to climate change. The courses combines theoretical readings with in-depth case studies.

Course focuses on principles and applications of stable isotope chemistry as applied to the broad science of ecology. Lecture topics include principles of isotope behavior and chemistry, and isotope measurements in the context of terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecological processes and problems. Students participate in a set of laboratory exercises involving preparation of samples of choice for isotopic analyses, the use of the mass spectrometer and optical analysis systems, and the anlaysis of data.

Structure and coordination chemistry of natural adsorbent particles in aqueous systems; solute adsorption mechanisms and theoretical models; interparticle forces and colloidal phenomena; applications to biogeochemistry and contaminant hydrology.

This seminar will explore current topics that employ the use of stable isotopes. Discussion topics include the areas of biology, paleontology, biogeochemistry, soil science, and atmospheric science. Students will be required to lead at least one discussion of relevant literature in the topic area.

A graduate seminar exploring the ecological, social, and economic risks inherent in different forms of agriculture, from highly diversified, agroecological farming systems to industrialized agriculture. We will examine how different farm management techniques, government policies, supply chains, R&D, technology, and science may influence various risks and uncertainties, including climate change, agrobiodiversity, farmer livelihoods, food safety, public health, and nutrition.

Effective communication is an important skill that all scientists should master. There are many different forms of communication, and these require different approaches and techniques. The goal of this course is to provide students with the skills to communicate scientific findings to a wide range of audiences. We will discuss approaches to communicating our findings and those of others to other scientists, the public, and the media. We will then prepare and practice communicating through papers, proposals, presentations, sound bites, and podcasts. Exercises and assignments are designed to give students hands on experience developing their own stories and packaging them to selected audiences.

Measurement and modeling of trace gases and energy between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere. Micrometeorological flux measurement methods, including eddy covariance, profile, and eddy accumulation methods. A hierarchy of biophysical models are discussed for interpreting flux measurements. Information and theory on big-leaf, two-layer, and multi-layer models that couple energy, water, and carbon to predict trace gas fluxes are presented. How models integrate information from leaf to canopy to landscape scales is discussed.

This graduate seminar explores the sociology of agriculture and food systems, addressing key theories and topics in the field. We begin with the antecedents of the sociology of agriculture, including foundation classical agrarian theories and an overview of the field, followed by topics ranging from pesticide drift to agricultural labor injustice to food sovereignty movements and more. This course is most appropriate for students with some background in agri-food and social systems.

The objectives of the course are to: 1) review the GIS basics (data, analysis, and product generation) with special reference to data used in managing California environments; 2) understand the issues surrounding, and algorithms used in, a particular GIS application; and 3) develop an operational GIS project in a chosen area. This course is divided into three sections: 1) an intensive GIS fundamentals section covering geospatial data input, manipulation, analysis, and effective communication using common geospatial data from California sources; 2) a section that discusses linkages with other GIScience disciplines; 3) a topic based case-study portion; and 4) a project development phase. Topics will need to have management appplicability for an agency, not-for-profit, or similar type of group involved in environmental management. There will be lectures and labs throughout the class, although lab time nearer the end of class will be focused on class projects. Reading will be assigned throughout, and class discussion held. The final class period will be used as an "illustrated paper" session, in which final projects are displayed and discussed.

Meeting the challenge of global sustainability will require interdisciplinary approaches to research and education, as well as the integration of this new knowledge into society, policymaking, and business. Green Chemistry is an intellectual framework created to meet these challenges and guide technological development. It encourages the design and production of safer and more sustainable chemicals and products.

Developments in biotechnology and the life sciences are unsettling legal and policy approaches to intellectual property, reproduction, health care, medical research, and the criminal justice system. Through reading primary materials and relevant secondary sources, this course investigates ethical, legal, and policy problems associated with these developments, and explores possible solutions.

A critical survey of classical and recent literature in the field of environmental history, philosophy, and ethics, with special emphasis on the American environment. Topics will include environmental historiography, theories of environmental history, and the relationships between environmental history, philosophy, ethics, ecology, and policy.

Changes in Third World rural economy, ecology, and environment and ways in which these are affected by development policies. Historical dimensions of Third World environmental problems. Changing patterns of rural production (especially food) and resource use; alternative theories of natural resource and socioeconomic development; linkages between socioeconomy and environment in agrarian change and development policy; technology and resource control; conservation and development problems.

This course provides a strong foundation for graduate work in STS, a multidisciplinary field with a signature capacity to rethink the relationship among science, technology, and political and social life. From climate change to population genomics, access to medicines and the impact of new media, the problems of our time are simultaneously scientific and social, technological and political, ethical and economic.

Critique and comparison of literature in political ecology--an approach to sociological analysis of environmental change focusing on environmental conflict. Initial sessions address the definition of political ecology, its origins, and the politics and discourses of natural resource management. Literature includes domestic and international research involving the combination of social and environmental history, local perspectives, and political economy to discuss accounts of social and environmental change.

Focus on ethnic and cultural diversity in health behavior as a basis for public health programs. Consideration of U.S. ethnic minority groups and cultural groups in non-Western societies. Health status and behavior examined in context of relevant social and anthropological theory (social class, acculturation, political economy). Influence of socio-cultural background on concepts of health, illness, and health-seeking behavior. Implications for planning public health programs and policies.

Individual projects and group discussions concerning social constraints to, and effects of, natural resource planning and management. Application of sociological theories to problems of managing wildland ecosystems. Students will examine topics of individual interest related to the management of wildland uses. Enrollment limited.

This course will introduce the methods and theories of Science and Technology Studies (STS) in order to explore the relationships among science, technology, law, and politics in the domains of environment and health. The course will focus some attention on the tension between technocracy and democracy in science policy, and on the role of biotechnology in reshaping the natural and political order. The course will equip graduate students in the social sciences, law, life sciences, and public policy with theoretical and practical tools for analyzing complex problems at the science, technology, and society interface.

This course addresses explantation and strategy in natural resource policy with an emphasis on whether, why, and how (a) 'race' distributes access to and control of environmental resources, (b) 'science' creates and arrays perceptions, organization and control of these resources, and (c) public policy shapes racial disparities in natural resource opportunities. Topics are drawn primarily from issues in metropolitan, agricultural, and public resource systems.

Contemporary issues in international environmental politics; impacts of globalization on the environment; comparative transnational environmental movements. Study of current and historical texts. Case studies drawn from around the world with a focus on methods and research techniques.

This course explores critical policy and theoretical questions in the governance of global production. Current trends in the restructuring of industrial production; distributions of environmental, labor, and social impacts from this production; and new strategies for democratic governance are analyzed, including corporate self-regulation, monitoring, certification and labeling, fair trade programs, legal strategies, and international accords and agreements.

Science-based technologies that are central to the search for sustainability in contemporary societies and their environmental impacts. Theoretical approaches to investigating how science, technology, and environment intersect. How societies move closer to sustainable technological systems. Redesign of existing technologies and the introduction of new technologies. How adverse impacts can be prevented through policy. Case studies of contemporary developments.

Advanced readings on environment and race. Shifting meanings of "race" and its application and usefulness in theorizing human-environment relationships. Foundations of environmental ideas and attitudes towards the natural environment and their connections to contemporary environmental practices. Construction of environmental narratives and images in defining ideas of racial and place identity. How representations of the natural environment are structurally and culturally racialized within environmental institutions and the media. Post-race possibilities.

This seminar presents material from indigenous studies; feminist and postcolonial science and technology studies (STS), including animal studies; political ecology; and other fields. It engages non-dominant knowledges while interrogating the role of key technoscientific concepts (modernity, objectivity, universality) in colonizations of both humans and nonhumans. This course highlights the role of critical methods in shifting power relations in research, including students' own research.

A seminar covering various aspects of silviculture and related issues.

Effect of fire on ecology of forest and rangeland.

A seminar course dealing with selected topics in ecology of rangelands.

Advanced photographic systems. Nonphotographic systems including multispectral scanner, imaging spectrometry, thermal, and RADAR. The use of ditigal image processing, geographic information systems (GIS,) and accuracy assessment. A look into linking remote sensing with GIS and integrated analysis of multisource spatial data. Laboratories and application projects are to be arranged.

This course will cover methods and approaches for students considering professionalizing in the field of STS, including a chance for students to workshop written work.

Advanced topics related to the dynamics and management of forest stands such as competition effects, mixed-species interactions, mutiaged stand silviculture, pruning, thinning regimes, management for old growth features, wood quality effects, and others. Field trips may be included.

A graduate level seminar covering advanced topics in conservation of biodiversity, focused on designing protected area networks. We will first lay the groundwork for the course by exploring the fundamental papers in ecology and conservation biology that led to systematic conservation planning. Then, we will study various issues at the current frontiers of the discipline, such as incorporating threats, costs, evolutionary processes, and ecosystem services into reserve network design. The class will encourage student engagement through discussions, peer instruction and peer review of essays.

Rangeland vegetation sampling techniques with emphasis on comparing the relative efficiency of different techniques of vegetation measurement. Includes weekly lab exercises on artificial sampling boards and/or in the field. Juniors and seniors are encouraged.

A survey of pastoral animal management and production systems, as they influence and are influenced by the rangeland environment. Review of the evolution of animal management practices; contemporary management systems in California,the West, and worldwide; and production systems with both traditional and nontraditional goals. Examination of agroforestry and nomadic and transhumant grazing systems, sheep and cattle production, game ranching, and organic meat production will be included.

A seminar course dealing with selected current topics in range ecosystem planning and policy.

Reading, conference, and discussion. Reports and discussion of recent studies in wildlife biology and management. Open to qualified graduate students from other departments.

The course will provide a basic foundation in the physical mechanisms of, responses to, and health implications of climate change. We will explore the variety of epidemiologic, risk assessment, and statistical methods used to understand the impacts of climate change on health across diverse demographic groups. The public health implications, positive and negative, of efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change will be elaborated, including discussions of ethical, political, and economic aspects of these efforts. Students will be responsible for leading class discussions and presenting a poster on their choice of a topic related to climate change and health.

Application of demographic methods to the management of plant and animal populations. Conservation problems faced by small populations of threatened or exploited species will be emphasized. Implications for life-history theory will also be discussed. Demographic analyses include (1) an understanding of life cycle diagrams, projection matrices, and age- and stage-based approaches; (2) calculation of population growth rate and sensitivity of demographic parameters to perturbation; and (3) advanced tehcniques of stochastic simulation modeling, spatial analyses, and population viability analyses will be learned.

Study and critical analysis of topics, research, and texts pertinent to environmental science, policy, and management. Different topics will be available each semester reflecting faculty and student interest.

Individual study in consultation with a member of the faculty directed to analysis and synthesis of the literature of a specialized subject area in forestry and resource management.

Advanced study of research topics which vary each semester.

Individual research under the supervision of a faculty member.

Individual research under the supervision of a faculty member.

Teaching methods at the University level; course content; problem set review and development; guidance of laboratory experiments; course development and evaluation; supervised practice teaching.

This course will introduce methods of organizing and delivering oral presentations, initating and organizing manuscripts, and utilizing digital communication methods, such as web-based media. Students will develop effective communication techniques through in-class experience. This class will have an emphasis on the sciences but will be useful and open to graduate students of all disciplines.

The course will consist of readings and discussions led by instructors, graduate students, and guest speakers covering topics on developing teaching skills relevant to an interdisciplinary environmental science program. Students will present brief lectures that will be taped and evaluated and will learn skills for evaluating success in conveying complex ideas to their own students.

Training for students in planning and performing research under the supervision of a faculty member. This course is intended to provide credit for experience obtained.

Individual study for the comprehensive examination in consultation with the field adviser.

Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D.