NATRS 493 - Advanced Silviculture

Credits: 5
Students learn, through classroom and field studies, woody plant interactions with environmental stresses including changes to stand structure caused by humans, nature or time and selection using genetic principles for improved growth. Students participate in hands-on seedling production methods while applying the theory and practice of controlling forest establishment, composition, and growth. Students assess fundamentals of forest stand development and dynamics and use critical thinking to propose forest stewardship techniques to satisfy a range of possible objectives (biological, economic, and social).

Enrollment Requirement: ENGL 128, NATRS 292 and 293 with grades of 2.0 or higher; and MATH& 146 with grade of 2.0 or higher or concurrent enrollment; and concurrent enrollment in NATRS 418; and instructor consent.

Course Fee: $50.00

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Describe the most common silvicultural tools and practices and how to use them appropriately to meet management objectives.
Explain growth and yield dynamics for forest stands under a variety of management regimes.
Demonstrate the use and applicability of at least one growth model for making silviculture decisions.
Evaluate various silvicultural activities for biologic, economic and social soundness.

Program Outcomes

Attain a job in the Natural Resources field.
Manage Forestland and Resources to attain positive outcomes.
Demonstrate effective written and verbal communications between industry partners and cooperators.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning - Quantitative Reasoning encompasses abilities necessary for a student to become literate in today’s technological world. Quantitative reasoning begins with basic skills and extends to problem solving.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.