Courses

• U 130N Introduction to Ecology and Environmental Management 3 cr. Consideration of ecological principles underlying the use and conservation of natural resources, and the societal constraints on their management. Group-project oriented and on-site observation.
• U 140 Introduction to Urban Forestry 2 cr. An introduction to urban forestry principles and practices. Benefits of the urban forest. Topics covered include plant species selection, site design, site assessment, planting, watering, fertilization, insects and diseases, pruning and tree care, inventory of property values, and community forestry development.
• U 180 Careers in Natural Resources 2 cr. Same as WBio 180 and Recm 180. Subject matter and fields of study within natural resources management. Topics include forestry, wildlife biology, range, water, recreation management, forest products production, and other opportunities for careers in natural resources.
• U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
• U 196 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-3) Prereq., consent of instr. Problems course designed to allow individual research at the undergraduate level.
• U 201 Forest Biometrics 4 cr. Prereq., Math 117 or Math 121 or equivalent. Applying statistics, hypothesis-testing and computer programming to biological problems.
• UG 202 Forest Mensuration 4 cr. Prereq., For 201. The theory and practice of timber inventory and growth projection, including sampling procedures, statistical methods, field procedures, and use of microcomputers to compile inventories and simulate stand growth under specified management prescriptions.
• U 210N Introductory Soils 3 cr. Prereq., Chem 151N. An introduction to the chemical, physical, biological and morphological properties of soils.
• U 220 Technical Writing 3 cr. Stresses principles of effective technical writing, primarily clarity and conciseness. Short writing assignments are critiqued for grammar, sentence structure, organization and work economy. Emphasizes self-editing as a means of improving writing and discusses problems of literature citation.
• U 230 Forest Fire Management 2 cr. Presuppression and suppression of fire and the uses of fire in management practices. Fire weather, the measurement of fire weather, the factors that influence fire behavior, and fire management decisions.
• U 232 Forest Insects and Diseases 2 cr. Identification, significance of and remedies for insect infestations and infectious and non-infectious diseases of forests and forest products.
• U 240N Tree Biology 3 cr. Suggested coreq., For 241N. The physical and biological requirements for the growth and development of trees. Discussions of: identification, classification, range, and economic importance of the major tree species of North America.
• U 241N Dendrology 2 cr. Prereq., Biol 120N; suggested coreq., For 240N. Methods and techniques for identfying the major families of North American trees, based on gross morphological and anatomical features. Building and use of identification keys.
• U 245 Introduction to Timber Management 3 cr. A survey of the concepts basic to timber management. Areas covered are silvics, mensuration, silviculture and yield regulation.
• U 250 Plane Surveying in Resource Data Systems 3 cr. Prereq., Math 121. Principles, field techniques and applications of plane surveying.
• U 270 Wildlife Management Issues 2 cr. Same as WBio 270. An exploration of wildlife conservation issues and problems facing wildlife managers; suggestions for solution.
• U 271N Issues in Wilderness Ecology 3 cr. A study of forestry and wildlife issues which affect the maintenance of wilderness integrity. Topics include: global climate changes; management of wildfires, cattle grazing and noxious weeds; game management; threatened and endangered species, including grizzly bears, wolves, bird and fish species.
• U 272 Wilderness and Civilization 3 cr. (R-6) Core course in the Wilderness and Civilization Program. Includes field instruction in wilderness resources and orienteering, participation in wilderness issues, and study and discussion of wilderness in Montana and in society as a whole.
• U 280S Perspectives in Environmental Management 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Study of how western people and people of other cultures have managed forest lands and other wildlands, both past and present. Includes discussion of philosophies of natural resource use, and legal, social, economic, political and ecological constraints on resource policy.
• U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Experimental offerings of visiting professors; new courses or one-time offerings of current topics.
• U 296 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-3) Prereq., consent of instr. Individual research at the undergraduate level.
• UG 304 Conservation of Natural and Human Resources in Montana 3 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. Same as EVST 304. Conservation in Montana; environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, mining impacts and resource management of wildlands, timberlands, and wildlife.
• UG 307 Computer Modeling in the Natural Sciences 3 cr. (R-6) The construction and analysis of computer models or simulations of processes, systems and populations in the natural sciences. A project-oriented course.
• U 310 Soil Physics 3 cr. Prereq., For 210. The physical and mechanical properties of soils with special emphasis on the role of water in influencing those properties. A lab will accompany the course.
• UG 320 Forest Economics 3 cr. Prereq., Math 150; Econ 111S. Economic analysis involved in the use and distribution of forest esources.
• UG 330 Forest Ecology 3 cr. Prereq., Biol 120N or Biol 103N, 104N; prereq., or coreq., For 210N. Examination of the processes and variation of forests with field labs at Lubrecht in the months of April and May; interpretive ecology and development of skills in observation, taxonomy, measurement, data interpretation and problem solving.
• UG 331 Wildland Fuel Management 3 cr. Prereq., For 230 or equiv. Fire ecology, western vegetation types; planning for prescribed use of fire; fuel management objectives and techniques: mechanical, chemical, prescribed fire; smoke management considerations.
• UG 332 Forest Entomology 3 cr. Prereq., For 232. Classification, identification, life cycles, and control of insects which injure forests and forest products.
• UG 340 Timber Harvesting and Forest Products Manufacturing 4 cr. Prereq., junior standing or consent f instr. Survey of ground, cable and aerial timber harvesting techniques and the subsequent manufacture of wood-based products from this harvest. Laboratory field trips to timber harvesting operations and several local manufacturing facilties.
• UG 342 Wood Anatomy, Properties and Identification 3 cr. Prereq., Biol 120N or For 240N, 241N. Lecture and laboratory investigation of the structure, identification and physical and mechanical properties of the commerical tree species of North America.
• UG 347 Multiple Resource Silviculture 3 cr. Prereq., For 330 or Biol 340 or equiv. An introduction to the concepts and application of silvicultural techniques to forest ecosystems to meet multiple resource objectives.
• UG 351 Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 3 cr. Prereq., Math 121, For 250. The theory and application of photo- and electro-optical remote sensing for mapping resources and developing information systems.
• UG 352 Advanced Surveying 3 cr. Prereq., For 250. Introduction to precision-ordered instruments, electronic distance measurements, control surveys, satellite-based positioning, and data processing.
• UG 360 Range Management 3 cr. Prereq., junior standing or consent of instr. An introduction to rangelands and their management, grazing influences, class of animal, grazing capacity, control of livestock distribution, improvements, competition and interrelationships with wildlife. Laboratory exercises to gain on-site experience on topics and concepts presented in lectures.
• U 361 Range Forage Plants 3 cr. Prereq., For 360 and Biol 165N. Description, identification, forage value and ecology of forage plants of the western United States; important weed species, management of grazing lands, and the relationship of ecophysiology and morphology to grazing response.
• U 362 Range Livestock Production 3 cr. Prereq., For 360 or consent of instr. Offered alternate years. An introduction to livestock production in natural systems and the role of livestock production in the world food situation; emphasizes selection, production and management principles of beef cattle systems.
• UG 372 Wildlife Administration, Enforcement and Biopolitics 3 cr. Overview of the laws affecting wildlife and how those laws are initiated, implemented, and enforced; impact of politics, interest groups, and agency jurisdictions.
• UG 380S Environmental Conservation 3 cr. Prereq., junior standing. The interrelationships of resource conservation problems and programs; management and conservation in the context of an expanding economy.
• U 381 International Conservation and Development 3 cr. Offered alternate years. An examination of various perspectives and approaches to conservation and sustainable development with an emphasis on developing countries in the tropics; review of the major biophysical and socioeconomic factors that affect tropical conservation and development efforts.
• UG 389 Riparian/Wetland Management 3 cr. Coreq. or prereq., one introductory ecology course. Importance of riparian/wetland areas and the complexities associated with their management for short and long term benefits.
• U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
• U 396 Independent Study 1-3 cr. (R-10) Prereq., consent of instr. Individual study or research problems.
• U 398 Cooperative Education Internship Variable cr. (R-12) Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience that provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Cooperative Education Office.
• UG 410 Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification 3 cr. Prereq., For 210N. The morphological characteristics of soils, how the horizons formed and an introduction to the Soil Taxonomy classification system used in this country. Field trips will be included.
• UG 412 Ecosystem Ecology 3 cr. Prereq., For 210N, 310, 315. Discussions of the functioning of ecosystems with emphasis on processes, leading to understanding of landscape ecology. Emphasis on the ways humans can alter ecosystem processes and how systems that have been disturbed recover.
• UG 420 Forest Resource Valuation 3 cr. Prereq., For 320 or Econ 311 or Econ 340. Same as Econ 420 and Evst 420. Economic trade-offs in forest use. Valuation of forest non-commodity services. Role of markets and government in allocation of forest resources to conflicting uses.
• UG 422 Natural Resources Policy and Administration 3 cr. Policy formation in the United States and a survey of the major resource policies interpreted in their historical and political contexts.
• UG 423 Natural Resources Law 3 cr. Prereq., senior standing. Offered alternate years. Survey of the structure of the American legal system with emphasis on the principles of law relevant to natural resource management.
• UG 424 Social Forestry 3 cr. Same as Soc 424. Offered alternate years. A review of agroforestry, community forestry, and opportunities and constraints to the use of trees in rural development and protected areas management.
• UG 430 Forest Regions of North America 3 cr. Prereq., a class in ecology. Ecological development of forest regions of North America, successional patterns, limiting factors; development and application to forestry problems of selected classification systems.
• UG 431 Forest Habitat Typing and Management Implications 3 cr. Prereq., For 330 or Biol 355. Habitat typing and ecological classification used as a forest management tool in the northern Rocky Mountains.
• UG 432 Advanced Fire Weather 4 cr. Prereq., For 230. The study of mesoscale and synoptic meteorological influences on fire behavior, danger and climate in the northern Rocky Mountains.
• UG 433 Fire Management Planning 3 cr. Prereq., For 331 or consent of instr. Offered alternate years. Planning analysis using case studies; consideration of fire history, weather, and fuels in wilderness fire management; smoke management and multiple resource coordination.
• UG 440 Advanced Timber Harvesting 3 cr. Prereq., For 340. Timber harvest unit and transportation system layout, logging planning, ad system organization for the application of ground-based, cable, and aerial timber harvesting systems; economic feasibility of alternative practices; achieving compatibility with environmental constraints.
• UG 441 Timber Management 3 cr. Prereq., For 320, 347. Management of forest stands for timber production, including review of factors influencing physical and value growth; use of growth and yield projections; economic evaluation of alternative stand management strategies; classical forest regulation; fundamentals of timber harvest scheduling; stumpage appraisal and timber sales.
• UG 442 Technical Processing of Wood Products 5 cr. Prereq., For 340 and 342. Lecture, discussion, laboratory manufacture, and evaluation of solid and composite wood products. Exercises include lumber manufacture and drying at School's sawmill; plywood, laminated beam manufacture and strength testing; particle board and flakeboard manufacture and testing.
• UG 447 Advanced Silviculture 3 cr. Prereq., For 347. Examination of silvicultural topics such as regeneration practices, thinning/stand density concepts, and silvicultural systems at an advanced level.
• UG 450 Advanced Aerial Photogrammetry 3 cr. Prereq., For 351. Aerial photogrammetric methods in map construction and compilation, resource inventories and forest engineering.
• UG 451 Remote Sensing in Resource Management 3 cr. Prereq., For 351. Imaging systems, multi-band and multi-spectral imaging, image analysis for resource information and evaluation.
• UG 452 Advanced Image Analysis 3 cr. Prereq., For 451. Offered alternate years. Analysis of problems in the use of remote sensing media and their evaluation as sources of resource information.
• UG 460 Range Inventory and Analysis 3 cr. Prereq., For 360 and one course in statistics. Methods of measuring range and shrub-land vegetation at individual and community level for determining plant composition, changes following treatments, and carrying capacity of range livestock and native ungulates.
• UG 461 Animal Nutrition 3 cr. Prereq., For 360 or consent of instr. Elements of animal nutrition, physiology of ruminant nutrition, nutritional characteristics of forage plants related to nutrition requirements of livestock and wildlife, and nutritional strategies of free-roaming animals.
• UG 462 Range Ecology 3 cr. Prereq., For 360 and one course in plant ecology. Applied ecology of rangeland uses by various biota, synecological response to grazing, fire, herbicides, fertilizers and mechanical treatments, structural and functional responses of grassland systems to disturbance.
• UG 463 Range Improvement 3 cr. Prereq., For 360. Methods of improving rangelands, including grazing systems, control of weeds, controlled burning, seeding, fertilization and mechanical soil treatments.
• UG 467 Rangeland Planning 3 cr. Prereq., For 460, 462, 463. Development of a detailed management plan for a specified land unit. Field problem in planning, inventory, analysis, allocation and management.
• U 471 International Resource Management 3 cr. Prereq., Biol 340 or For 330; For 381; Soc 470; two electives from recommended list, and consent of instr. Application of biophysical and social science knowledge to a specific resource conservation and management problem in a non-western, developing society. Professionally-supervised work assignment with a government agency, non-governmental organization or industry in a foreign country.
• UG 480 Forest and Rangeland Area Planning and Design 3 cr. Prereq., senior standing, Wbio 370, Recm 310, For 347 and For 360. A multidisciplinary planning team approach to developing detailed, site-specific resource management planning for units of forest and rangeland at the area or watershed level. Includes use of geographic information systems, computer modelling, and linear programming.
• UG 481 Forest Planning 3 cr. Prereq., For 422 or consent of instr. Integrated multiple use planning at the forest-wide level: defining multi-resource management goals, generating management alternatives, projecting outcomes, assessing environmental impacts, and implementing preferred option.
• UG 485 Watershed Management 3 cr. An introduction to physical and biological controls over water movement and storage in the environment, and how those controls are affected by land management practices.
• UG 486 Forest Hydrology Laboratory 1 cr. Coreq., For 485 or consent of instr. An introduction to basic watershed measurement and analysis techniques. Lab exercises designed around the use of spreadsheets and computer graphics.
• UG 487 Northwest Forest Resources Field Trip 3 cr. Prereq., senior standing. One-week trip will focus on field and mill applications of silviculture, harvesting, regeneration, anufacturing, management, and watershed, wildlife and recreation practices in the Pacific Northwest.
• UG 489E Ethics and the Management of Public Lands 3 cr. Prereq., lower-division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr.; senior standing. Theoretical and practical ethical issues affecting the management of natural resources in national forests and on other public lands.
• UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
• U 496 Independent Study 1-3 cr. (R-10) Prereq., consent of instr. Individual study or research problems.
• U 497 Senior Thesis 3 cr. Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr. Preparation of a major paper based on study or research in a field selected according to the needs and objectives of the student.
• UG 498 Cooperative Education Internship Variable cr. (R-15) Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off-campus. Prior approval must be obtained from faculty advisor and Cooperative Education Office.
• G 500 Forest Growth and Yield 3 cr. Prereq., For 202 or consent of instr. Offered alternate years. Theory and methods for projecting quantitative measures of tree and stand growth over time; includes analysis of computer growth and yield models used in the region.
• G 501 Research Methods 3 cr. Prereq., a course in statistics or consent of instr. The nature of scientific research, planning research projects, organization and presentation of research results. Emphasis on the development of study plans for specific research projects.
• G 502 Advanced Research Methods 3 cr. Prereq., For 501 or equiv. The use and analysis of advanced statistical procedures related to natural resources research.
• G 503 GIS: Methods and Applications I 3 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. General principles of geographic information systems. Instruction and lab use of specific software packages used for management decision-making in natural resources management. Students have hands-on experience in digitizing, mapping, spatial analysis and data-base creation.
• G 504 GIS: Methods and Applications II 3 cr. Prereq., For 503. Continuation of 503.
• UG 505 Sampling Methods 3 cr. Prereq., For 201 or equiv. Offered alternate years. Definitions, sampling with and without replacement, equal and unequal probability sampling, sample size and allocation, estimates and their variances, simple random sampling, stratification, doubling sampling, two-stage sampling, PPS and 3P sampling uses and precision.
• G 511 Soil Chemistry 3 cr. Prereq., For 210N, 330. A series of lectures on soil chemistry in the beginning of the semester, emphasizing water and nutrient movement, followed by a series of laboratory and lecture classes on soil chemistry, emphasizing data interpretation and problem solving.
• G 520 Forest Resource Economics I 3 cr. Prereq., For 320 or equiv., an upper-division or graduate level course in microeconomics, and consent of instr. The demand for, and supply of, commodity products from the forest, including characteristics of demand for stumpage, logs and processed products, forest management and harvesting decisions, and the supply of stumpage, intermediate and processed products.
• G 523 Forest Resource Economics II 3 cr. Prereq., For 320 or equiv., an upper-division or graduate level course in microeconomics, and consent of instr. Offered alternate years. Demand, supply and valuation of amenity and non-commodity service from the forest; economic theories of the behavior of private and public forest owners; property rights theory as an approach to understanding externalities.
• G 524 Resource Policy and Administration Seminar 4 cr. Prereq., graduate standing or consent of instr. Theory and practice of environmental dispute resolution.
• G 525 Resource Policy and Administration Seminar 4 cr. Prereq., grauate standing or consent of instr. Examination of concepts employed in natural resource policy analysis and decision-making.
• G 530 Forest Meteorology 3 cr. Prereq., graduate standing or consent of instr. A brief introduction to synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, followed by more intense study of physics in the forest environment: transfers of heat, light and momentum and their influences on plant structure, function, productivity and survival.
• G 531 Fire Ecology 3 cr. Prereq., For 210N, 330. A discussion of ecosystem function in terms of energy, nutrients, matter, gases, landscape concept, with emphasis on how fire alters natural cycles and triggers changes in vegetation and the cycling of materials gases and energy. A series of field trips to burns of different ages in fall.
• G 532 Forest Ecosystem Analysis 3 cr. Prereq., For 330 or equiv. Current research on important processes in forest ecosystems, including carbon, water and nuitrient cycles, with emphasis on recent computer simulation models.
• G 533 Use of Fire in Wildland Management 3 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. Offered alternate years. Western fire ecology and the planned use of fire. Wildlife, range and forestry applications of prescribed fire. Seminars and discussions; research applications.
• G 540 Tree Growth-Wood Quality Relationships 3 cr. Prereq., For 342. Offered alternate years. Lecture and laboratory investigation of the effects of genetics, growth rate and other factors on the quality of wood produced by trees. Basic engineering concepts as well as destructive mechanical testing in the laboratory.
• G 544 Issues in Silviculture Seminar 1 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. Discussion of current topics in silviculture.
• G 547 Forest Stand Dynamics 2 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. Role of disturbances, plant interactions, tree architecture, and structure on forest stand development. Discusses even-aged, uneven-aged, single- and mixed-species stand development.
• G 580 Foundations of National Forest Planning 3 cr. Same as Evst 580. Offered alternate years. Historical and topical seminar on the development of forests under the National Forest Management Act; current issues in forest planning.
• G 582 Global Resource Issues 2 cr. Prereq., graduate standing or consent of instr. An in-depth, interdisciplinary consideration of a natural resource management issue of global significance, including tropical forest management, protected areas management, and ecotourism. The topic addressed changes annually.
• UG 585 Advanced Watershed Management 3 cr. Prereq., For 485 or consent of instr. Effects of land management practices on water and sediment yields from wildland watersheds. Introduction to statistical methods in hydrology. Introduction to water yield and sediment modeling techniques.
• G 586 Snow Hydrology 3 cr. Prereq., graduate standing or consent of instr. Offered alternate years. The physics of snow formation, distribution and ablation. Snow and forest management in the subalpine zone.
• G 594 Graduate Seminar in Forestry 1 cr. (R-3) Prereq., graduate standing. Presentation by students, staff and visitors of issues and topics in their fields.
• G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
• G 596 Independent Study 1-3 cr. (R-10) Prereq., consent of instr. Individual study or research problems.
• G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-15) Preparation of Master of Forestry professional paper.
• G 697 Graduate Research Variable cr. (R-15) Independent graduate research in forest management, wood science, soils, wildlife management, silviculture, recreation and other topic areas.
• G 699 Thesis Variable cr. (R-15) Preparation of thesis/dissertation.

Faculty

• Donald J. Bedunah, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1982
• Perry J. Brown, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971 (Dean)
• Edwin J. Burke, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1978
• David H. Jackson, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1975
• C. Les Marcum, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1975
• Stephen F. McCool, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1970
• Alan G. McQuillan, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1981
• Thomas J. Nimlos, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1959 (Emeritus)
• Robert D. Pfister, Ph.D., Washington State University, 1972 (Associate Director, MFCES)
• Daniel H. Pletscher, Ph.D., Yale University, 1983 (Director, Wildlife Biology Department)
• Donald F. Potts, Ph.D., State University of New York, 1979 (Associate Dean)
• Robert R. Ream, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1963
• Steven W. Running, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1979
• Harold J. Salwasser, Ph.D., The University of California at Berkeley, 1979
• Robert W. Steele, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1975 (Emeritus)
• Ronald H. Wakimoto, Ph.D., University of California, 1978
• E. Earl Willard, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1971
• Hans R. Zuuring, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1975

Associate Professors

• Paul L. Hansen, Ph.D., South Dakota State University, 1985 (Research)
• Kelsey Milner, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1987
• Norma Nickerson, Ph.D., University of Utah, 1989 (Research)
• Kevin L. O'Hara, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1987
• Lloyd Queen, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1988
• Stephen F. Siebert, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1990

Assistant Professors

• Paul B. Alaback, Ph.D., Oregon State University, 1980
• William T. Borrie, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995
• Thomas H. DeLuca, Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1993
• Carl Fiedler, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1990 (Research)
• Wayne A. Freimund, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1993
• L. Scott Mills, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1993
• Ramakrishna Nemani, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 1987 (Research)