Hello: Would you please send our announcement below to the ecolog listserv? Thank you, Amy
2019 Field Course in Arctic Alaska Ecosystems (BIOL F467, 3 credits) University of Alaska Fairbanks Spring Lectures (in Fairbanks or via distance ed): Mondays 10 am-12 pm, March 18-April 28 Summer Field Excursion (departing from Fairbanks, Alaska): June 13-30 Registration open November 26 - January 25 Not a UAF student? Apply to register as a nondegree student <https://uaonline.alaska.edu/banprod/owa/twbkwbis.P_GenMenu?name=bmenu.P_TakeAClass>The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) announces a course in Arctic Alaska Ecosystems that includes 7 classroom lectures (Mar 18-Apr 28) and a 17-day field excursion (Jun 13-30) to the Brooks Range and Alaska’s North Slope. The 3-credit course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students interested in Arctic biology and ecology. Spring Lecture Series The class begins with 7 weekly lectures in March and April, available face-to-face on the UAF campus or via distance learning. Students will gain a basic academic knowledge of North America Arctic systems including permafrost and patterned ground, soils, macro- and micro-climate influences, typical habitats and plant communities, succession patterns, plant adaptations, paleo-history of the Arctic, plant production, and energy flow in Arctic systems. June Field Course Then on June 13, students gather in Fairbanks to start the field portion of the course. After 2 days of classroom instruction and local field trips in the Fairbanks area, they embark on a 13-day field excursion to Alaska's North Slope. The class will travel along the latitudinal transect from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, which traverses boreal forest, alpine, and Arctic biomes. Students will undertake an independent research project of their choosing. The course wraps up with 2 days for student presentations in Fairbanks. Eleven days will be spent camping at different locations along the route. We will also stay 2 nights at Toolik Field Station, a world-renowned Arctic research station. Guest instructors will discuss Arctic ecology, permafrost, life in Arctic communities, and environmental issues related to oilfield development and other aspects of Arctic social-ecological systems. During the field excursion students will learn methods of vegetation sampling including the Braun-Blanquet approach to plot sampling, and line and quadrat point sampling methods. They will learn to recognize approximately 160 common species of plants from the boreal, alpine, and arctic regions of Alaska, and gain knowledge of the linkages between plant communities and key environmental factors, including snow and permafrost, soil chemistry, bedrock and surficial geology, glacial history, and landscape age. The cost of transportation and meals during the field excursion is included in the course fee, as well as lodging at Toolik Field Station and on UAF’s campus before and after the field trip. (Students are responsible for meals during the 4-day campus portion of the field course.) Students will need to bring all-weather clothing including winter jackets and rubber boots, and a warm sleeping bag. Expedition tents will be provided. More Information Cost for tuition & fees: $1,848 (+ $15 distance ed fee). Other university fees may apply. The course is limited to 10 students. Prerequisites: BIOL 115 & 116, or equivalent introductory physical science course intended for science majors in biology, geology or geography, or instructor approval <dawal...@alaska.edu>. More information: www.geobotany.uaf.edu/teaching/biol467 On Facebook: www.facebook.com/ <http://www.facebook.com/arcticvegetationfieldcourse>arcticalaskaecosystems <http://www.facebook.com/arcticalaskaecosystems> Registration info: www.uaf.edu/register <https://www.uaf.edu/register/index.php> Course Finder: www.uaf.edu/coursefinder (Search for BIOL F467 Ecosystems of Alaska) --- The Alaska Geobotany Center at the Institute for Arctic Biology at UAF is dedicated to understanding northern ecosystems and Arctic land-use conservation issues through the use of geographic information systems, remote sensing, field experiments, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Educating and training students in Arctic vegetation field skills and analysis is a key part of its mission. Recent research has focused on the effects of infrastructure and climate change on landscape and permafrost in Alaska and Russia. Learn more at www.geobotany.org. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. UAF is an AA/EO employer <https://www.uaf.edu/oeo/civil-rights/aa-eo/> and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual. -- *Amy Breen, Ph.D.* University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning e-mail: albr...@alaska.edu | phone: 907-750-1311
