Title

Riparian Ecology in the Arid and Mountain West

Course Description

Although riparian areas typically cover less than 5% of the landscape throughout the arid and mountain West, these ecosystems support a disproportionally diverse array of organisms and ecological processes. These systems lie at the interface between aquatic and terrestrial environments and are characterized by both fluvial and upland processes. Riparian species frequently have adaptations that allow them to thrive in these dynamic environments. Furthermore, due to the increasing demand for water resources, riparian areas are frequently altered by human actions that alter the underlying environmental dynamics that maintain riparian ecosystem integrity.

This course will take the form of a short seminar followed by a guided discussion of the primary literature pertaining to a range of topics. Topics wil be selected by the participants and could include aquatic-terrestrial linkages, hydrologic influences on riparian structure, riparian vegetation dynamics, restoration of riparian areas, and influences of land-use practices on riparian function, among others. Student participants wil be expected to develop a topic, select a guest seminar speaker or develop the seminar themselves, and lead a discussion following the presentation.

Instructor (s)

David Cooper, Kurt Fausch, LeRoy Poff, Carl Saunders

E-mail

davidc@cnr.colostate.edu

kurtf@warnercnr.colostate.edu
poff@lamar.colostate.edu
csaunder@warnercnr.colostate.edu   

Phone Number

491-5430, 491-6457, 491-1096

Credits

1

Academic Restrictions or Recommendations

Graduate students

Meeting Times

Tuesdays, 3:00 - 5:00 pm, once a week

Classroom

TBD

First Meeting Date

August 26, 2008

CRN

60164

Will this course be cross-listed or cross-enrolled

No

Enrollment Limit

20

Background

None

Text to be used

None