Bachelor of Science in Rangeland Ecology and Management Degree

Prepare for the Future

The Rangeland Ecology & Management program offers four career tracks:

• Land and Livestock
  This career track is for students interested in hands-on management of rangelands. Academic advisors work with students to select courses that provide the knowledge and skills needed to manage rangelands with grazing and fire to enhance livestock production while sustaining communities of native plants and animals. Completion of these courses can also satisfy the requirements for a minor in Animal Science or Soil Science.
• Restoration Ecology
  Millions of acres of rangelands and forests have been disturbed by fire, invasive plants, and overgrazing. Academic advisors in rangeland conservation have developed a set of electives for students interested in a career in wildland restoration. Completing these career track electives will fulfill the requirements for the Restoration Ecology Undergraduate Academic Certificate. Careful selection of courses can also highlight expertise in botany and plant materials to qualify for professions as a botanist.
• Wildland Fire
  Wildfire is one of the major forces causing change on rangeland ecosystems. Completing a specific set of advisor approved electives will enable students to show knowledge of land management related to wildland fire and fulfill the requirements for a minor in Fire Ecology and Management.
• Wildlife Habitat
  Many species of wildlife live on rangelands and the management of wildlife habitat is an important and sought after skill. With help from their academic advisor, rangeland students can complete a career track that will show expertise in wildlife habitat management and fulfill the requirements for a minor in Wildlife Resources.

Students also have the option to develop their own individual career track to help prepare them for their career goals. Students select 18 credits among an approved list of elective courses in subjects ranging from agriculture, economics, geography, and many more.

What Will You Learn?

Rangeland Ecology & Management majors will take numerous courses involving outdoor classrooms, hands-on learning exercises, and interactive laboratories. Major courses Rangeland Ecology & Management students will take include:

• REM 151 – Rangeland Principles
  Rangelands are vast landscapes that cover most of western North America and the earth. Students will examine the ecological principles that cause these grasslands, shrublands, woodlands and deserts to change or stay the same. How humans use and manage these ecosystems will also be explored. The modern challenges of rangeland management must be met with broad thinking and new, sustainable practices to maintain and restore rangelands and the human communities that rely on them. Course requires in-class projects and field experience(s).

• REM 252 – Wildland Plant Identification
  Develop skills to identify and classify major rangeland plants. Focus is on identification of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Discussions will also encompass the ecological roles of wildland plants and the ecosystem classification. This course includes a 1-day field trip. Required for REM majors. (Spring only)

• REM 280 – Introduction to Wildland Restoration
  History and overview of the ecological, social, and economic aspects of wildland restoration using case studies. Students will explore approaches and philosophies towards restoring and rehabilitating wildlands that have been damaged through natural forces and human activities such as wildfire, overgrazing, cultivation, and weed invasion.

• REM 341 – Systematic Botany
  Phylogenetic approach to understanding plant systematics and evolution with a primary focus on the flora of the Pacific Northwest. Includes identification of important plant families and the use of dichotomous keys for species identification. (Spring only)
  Prereq: BIOL 114 or BIOL 115; and BIOL 213 or PLSC 205

• REM 410 – Principles of Vegetation Monitoring & Measurement
  On-line course designed to give an overview of vegetation measurement techniques for grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and forests. Students will gain a solid understanding of how to evaluate and monitor vegetation attributes relative to wildlife habitat, livestock forage, fire fuel characteristics, watershed function, and many other wildland values. Recommended Preparation: A basic understanding of how to use computer spreadsheets such as Excel. (Fall only) Students who desire a hands-on and interactive experience with vegetation measurement are encouraged to also enroll in REM 411 which is a course the builds on the principles delivered in REM 410 and includes field experiences.
  Prereq: STAT 251 or permission

• REM 440 – Restoration Ecology
  The ecological restoration of disturbed ecosystems. Fundamental principles from ecology, ecophysiology, and community ecology are used in a systems ecology approach to examine how the structure and function of damaged ecosystems can be restored -- with the goal of establishing a stable and self-sustaining ecosystem.
  Prereq: FOR 221, WLF 220, NR 321, BIOL 314 or Permission

• REM 456 – Integrated Rangeland Management
  Management strategies for integrating grazing with other natural resource values such as wildlife, water, timber, recreation, and aesthetics; emphasis on herbivore ecology including ecological impacts of grazing, ways to manage grazing, and nutritional relationships between plants and free-ranging ungulates on rangeland, pastureland, and forest ecosystems. One 4 to 5 day field trip. Recommended Preparation: REM 151. (Spring only)
  Prereq: ENGL 313 or ENGL 317

• REM 459 – Rangeland Ecology
  Application of ecological principles in rangeland management; stressing response and behavior of range ecosystems to various kinds and intensity of disturbance and management practice. Recommended Preparation: courses in general ecology (e.g., REM 221), technical writing (e.g., Engl 317), and vegetation assessment (e.g., REM 410 or For 274) or Permission (Fall only).

• REM 460 – Integrated Field Studies in Rangelands
  One credit field experiences in rangeland ecology, vegetation measurements, and habitat assessment. The course consists of preparatory lectures and a four-day field trip to rangelands. The course integrates concepts from Principles of Vegetation Monitoring and Measurement (REM 410), Wildland Habitat Ecology and Assessment (REM 411), and Rangeland Ecology (REM 459). Students should take this course concurrently with or before REM 410, REM 411, and REM 459. Required for REM majors. (Fall only)
  Prereq: Permission

• WLF 411 – Wildland Habitat Ecology and Assessment
  This course integrates theoretical concepts with field sampling related to scientific research, wildlife habitat, and land management practices. Students collect, analyze, and report on ecological data in various formats, and learn specific protocols used by professionals to assess wildlife habitat. Class field trips are required for on-campus students,students and alternative field assignments will be required for remote, online students. Additional assignments required for graduate credit. Recommended preparation: REM 252 and REM 253, REM 341, or other plant identification class; introductory statistics course; ability to use excel. Co-enrollment in REM 410 is recommended.