ENVS-Environmental Studies

ENVS 1 Introduction to Environmental Issues

Intended to provide a perspective on the entire range of substantive, analytic, and professional concerns represented in the environmental studies curriculum. All of the current faculty participate in the course; thus it conveys both the diversity and the integrity of the field.

Credits

5

ENVS 10 Natural Reserves Field Study

Intensive field course designed for first-year students to gain hands-on experience in our campus and Big Creek Natural Reserves. Four-day field trip accompanied by readings and discussion on ecology and conservation of central coast habitats. College Eight students are encouraged to enroll.

Credits

2

ENVS 16 Natural History of the Santa Cruz Mountains

Introduction to geography, geology, climate, hydrology, biotic communities, flora, wildlife, and scenic and recreational resources of the Santa Cruz mountains. Orientation in the field to the peaks, ridges, rivers, creeks, watersheds, vegetation, public lands, trail systems, and land uses of the range enables students to become familiar with natural history and ecology of the mountains.

Credits

5

Instructor

Frederick McPherson

Quarter offered

Summer

ENVS 20 Ecology for a Sustainable Planet

Principles of ecology are presented as they relate to the current threats to Earth's life-support systems. Ecology is seen as a way of understanding the causes and the long-term solutions for environmental problems. Designed for non-science majors.

Credits

5

ENVS 80A The Future of Rain Forests

A broad overview of both ecological and social aspects related to tropical rain forests drawing on case studies worldwide. Topics include the biology and distribution of rain forests, causes and effects of their destruction, and management options to facilitate their conservation.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff

General Education Code

PE-E

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 80D Filming the Environment

Addresses contemporary domestic and international environmental issues through use of feature, animated, and documentary films. Discussions focus on how environmental problems and solutions are depicted in visual media and the impacts on public opinion.

Credits

5

Requirements

Enrollment restricted to first-year students and sophomores.

ENVS 91F Community and Agroecology

Interdisciplinary two-credit seminar designed to introduce students to concepts of community and agroecology in the context of sustainability. Course can serve as a gateway to or as a continuing basis for participation in PICA (Program in Community and Agroecology). Specific topics and readings change each quarter.

Credits

2

Instructor

The Staff

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Spring

ENVS 93 Field Study

Supervised research or organized projects for lower-division students conducted off campus within regular commuting distance of the campus. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 93F Field Study

Provides for department-sponsored individual field study for lower-division students in the vicinity of the campus under the direct supervision of a faculty sponsor. May not be counted toward major requirements. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 106C Natural History of Mammals

Evolution, ecology, and behavior of mammals, emphasizing a habitat/biome approach within the traditional study of systematics, physiology, and natural history. Focus on adaptations to selected environments and on major terrestrial communities of North America. Examples of field studies and conservation issues.

Credits

5

ENVS 106D Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles

The evolution, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, behavior, ecology, and systematics of amphibians and reptiles. Emphasis on conservation and management. Lecture/lab/field projects. Student teams read and present topics from research literature in a partial seminar format.

Credits

5

ENVS 106L Natural History of Mammals Laboratory

Taxonomy, species identification, and functional morphology with emphasis on terrestrial species of North America. Topics include dentition, claws and nails, horns and antlers, locomotion, reproduction, sensory specializations, and field techniques. Concurrent enrollment in course 106C is required.

Credits

2

ENVS 127 Statistics for the Environmental Sciences

A second course in statistics for the environmental sciences. Topics cover design of experiments and observational surveys, descriptive statistics, (histogram, average, standard deviation, and normal approximation), measurement uncertainty, regression, correlation, formal probability theory, sampling, and tests of significance. An introductory statistics course and calculus through integration are required preparation. Permission to take this course will be granted to those who pass a basic skills test to be given on the first day.

Credits

5

ENVS 131L Insect Ecology Laboratory

Field and laboratory exercises are designed to test hypotheses or demonstrate principles in areas such as behavior, mutualism theory, community ecology, and agricultural ecology. Experimental design, analysis and interpretation of data are emphasized along with observational skills.

Credits

3

Instructor

Deborah Letourneau

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): Concurrent enrollment in ENVS 131 required.

ENVS 138L Ethnobotany Laboratory

Laboratory and field studies allow students to learn the taxonomy of important useful plant families, carry out field studies on local plant use and management practices, and investigate in detail home garden agroecosystems and model systems.

Credits

2

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in ENVS 138 required.

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 142L Energy Politics and Policy Laboratory

Trains students in the concepts and skills required to make decisions about energy production.

Credits

2

Requirements

Concurrent enrollment in ENVS 142 required.

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 148 Environmental Policy Implementation

Assessment of local, state, and federal environmental agency performance, with particular attention to regulatory development and compliance enforcement. Emphasis on successes and failures of both traditional environmental regulations and new policy approaches. Students examine various industry responses to environmental regulations, each case set in the context of overall business performance and sustainability.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): Previous or concurrent enrollment in ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L, or by permission of instructor, and one of the following courses: ENVS 140, ENVS 141, ENVS149, ENVS 151, or ENVS 165.

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 155 Sustainable Development and Environmental Issues at the U.S.-Mexico Border

The primary objective is to enhance an understanding of environmental issues as elements of social processes. Using sustainable development as conceptual framework, identifies linkages between the empirical manifestation of environmental problems at the U.S.-Mexico border and socioeconomic issues associated with them at the local, transnational, and global levels.

Credits

5

Requirements

Enrollment restricted to environmental studies majors and biology, Earth sciences, and economics combined majors.

ENVS 160L Restoration Ecology Laboratory

Provides hands-on experience in restoration ecology to complement lecture material in course 160. Students work on implementing, monitoring, and evaluating a number of restoration projects in the vicinity of UCSC. Concurrent enrollment in course 160 is required.

Credits

2

Instructor

Karen Holl

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ENVS 24 or BIOL 20C, and ENVS 23 and ENVS 25. Concurrent enrollment in ENVS 160 is required.

ENVS 161B Sustainable Soil Management

Soil management in agroecosystems with an emphasis on enhancing and maintaining soil quality. Emphasis placed on influence of soil properties on crop development and productivity. Topics include conservation, tillage, fertilization, disease suppression, organic matter management, irrigation, and simulation models.

Credits

5

ENVS 175 Biotechnology: Social and Environmental Dimensions

Surveys the rapid development of genetic engineering science and biotechnology-based industries and examines the economic, health, environmental, legal, and social justice dimensions of new biotechnology applications: genetic screening, cloning, transgenic animals and crops, genetically engineered food, and biodiversity prospecting. Readings, lectures, World Wide Web site reviews, student presentations, and papers will address controversial choices faced now by scientists, farmers, doctors, consumers, public officials, and global governance agencies.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): Previous or concurrent enrollment in ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L, or by permission of instructor.

Quarter offered

Winter, Summer

ENVS 178 Plant Conservation Practicum

Involves independent and group field projects investigating ecology and conservation of rare plants. Also introduces students to the primary literature in plant ecology and conservation. Prior course work in conservation biology, ecology, and plant systematics is recommended. Offered in conjunction with courses 162 and 195B.

Credits

5

ENVS 181 Arboretum Internship

Supervised learning experience working with the faculty and staff, utilizing facilities of the UCSC Arboretum. Students learn general horticultural techniques through work at the Arboretum. They also gain specialized knowledge of plant conservation, systematics, habitat restoration, and plant care. Prerequisite(s): course 100 or Biology 20C and permission of instructor.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

ENVS 193 Field Study

Supervised research or organized projects relating to environmental problems, supplemented by guided individual study. May be repeated for credit with consent of the chairperson of environmental studies. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 193F Field Study

Provides for department-sponsored individual field study in the vicinity of the campus under the direct supervision of a faculty sponsor. May not be counted toward major requirements. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 196A Senior Seminar: Management of Protected Lands

Through selected readings, explores natural reserve and biodiversity management. Completion of an individual/team project related to University of California, Santa Cruz, natural reserves (campus, Younger Lagoon, Fort Ord). Project focus may be on reserve planning and policy, ecological diversity, design and management, or program development. Prerequisite(s): ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L. Enrollment restricted to senior environmental studies majors and by permission of instructor.

Credits

5

Instructor

Michael Loik

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 196B Senior Seminar: Methods in Environmental Policy Analysis

Introduction to some of the tools in environmental policy analysis, ranging from quantitative techniques (drawing on economics and statistics) to cross-cutting, qualitative designs. Students perform policy analysis exercises throughout the quarter and evaluate normative dimensions of competing analytic techniques. Prerequisite(s): instructor determination based on student's academic background.

Credits

5

Quarter offered

Winter

ENVS 196C Senior Seminar: Methods in Investigating Rural Economies

Introduction to the conceptual and empirical tools used in analysis of the economic geography of rural resource-based activities, such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Students learn to investigate the structure of local production activities and their linkages with regional, national, and global institutions and markets.

Credits

5

ENVS 196D Senior Seminar: Risks, Values, and Choices

Advanced readings and research on environmental risk and public choice and policy. Builds on course 172 and explores the values and choices implicit in conventional risk assessment methodologies as well as those in emergent alternatives, such as the precautionary principle. Prerequisite(s): course 172 and interview to determine level of preparation and appropriateness of background. Enrollment restricted to senior and graduate environmental studies majors and Earth sciences, biology, and economics combined majors.

Credits

5

Instructor

S Rajan

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 196E Senior Seminar: Advanced Agroecosystem Analysis

Explores a range of approaches to examine agroecosystem function and concepts of sustainability. The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems farm and its surrounding habitat will be the major focus of independent or group field research, but off-site locations may also be studied. Students will learn field and analytical techniques, formulate a research project, design a data collection scheme, conduct research, and provide a written analysis and discussion of their results. Prerequisite(s): course 130A or 130B.

Credits

5

Instructor

Carol Shennan

ENVS 196G Senior Seminar: Environmental Problems in Developing Countries' Cities

Using developing countries as an analytical framework, studies problems created by pollution, the use of natural resources, and environmental disasters, as well as the socioeconomic issues associated with them at the local, regional, and global level. Enrollment restricted to senior majors in environmental studies and the combined majors in Earth sciences, biology and economics; interview to determine level of preparation and appropriateness of background.

Credits

5

Quarter offered

Winter

ENVS 196J Senior Seminar: Managing Fresh Water Resources

Interdisciplinary investigation of a local/regional water management issue. Students work individually and in teams to identify and characterize a water management issue. Students study how the issue is currently being handled and then propose and describe alternative management approaches. Environmental studies majors have first priority; open to Earth sciences majors.

Credits

5

ENVS 196K Senior Seminar: Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

Analyzes selected topics in policy issues surrounding sustainable development in developing countries. Theoretical issues/definitions of sustainability will be examined, and concrete cases of environmental and natural resource policy choices will be analyzed. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor only with assessment of level and suitability of prior coursework.

Credits

5

Instructor

Alan Richards

ENVS 196M Senior Seminar: Plant Responses to the Environment

This course combines directed field research with independent research projects to examine plant responses to the environment. Students will be introduced to the operation of specialized instrumentation under field conditions. Students will develop a research hypothesis, design an experiment, collect data, and produce a written review of their results.

Credits

5

ENVS 196P Senior Seminar: Regional Foodshed Research Practicum

This course involves supervised individual and group interdisciplinary research on ecological and social justice dimensions of food production and community food security in the Monterey Bay region. Students are expected to actively engage with regional actors, local agencies, and community programs. Prerequisite(s): interview to determine background and interest in doing advanced field research on local agro-food issues with assessment of quality of work in relevant courses.

Credits

5

Instructor

Margaret Fitzsimmons

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall

ENVS 196R Senior Seminar: Advanced Research Topics in Applied Ecology

Faculty-facilitated research projects conducted within a central theme to satisfy the senior exit writing requirement. Themes have theoretical and applied components and encompass multiple disciplinary approaches. Examples include Forest Ecology and Exploitation and Transgenic technologies: Science and Policy. Prerequisite(s): student must present theme-based research ideas in interview with instructor.

Credits

5

Instructor

Deborah Letourneau

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 196S Senior Seminar: Functions and Processes of Terrestrial Ecosystems

Students present an idea for a project, review relevant literature, develop a research question/hypothesis, design and execute an experiment, collect and analyze data, and write a report. The instructor evaluates the feasibility of each student's project initially. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor only with assessment of level and suitability of prior coursework. Enrollment restricted to seniors.

Credits

5

Instructor

Michael Loik

Quarter offered

Spring

ENVS 196V Senior Seminar: Organic Agriculture Theory and Practice

Interdisciplinary research seminar examining scientific theory and practice of organic agriculture in both biological and social contexts. Research emphasis placed on ecology of organically-managed agroecosystems and the growing market and consumption of organic commodities. Prerequisite(s): course 129, or 130A or 133 or 161; interview to determine level of preparation and appropriateness of background. Enrollment restricted to senior environmental studies majors and the combined majors with biology, Earth sciences, and economics.

Credits

5

Instructor

Carol Shennan

Quarter offered

Fall

ENVS 198 Independent Field Study

Student's supervision is conducted by a regularly appointed officer of instruction by means other than usual supervision in person (e.g., by correspondence) or student is doing all or most of the course work off campus. Prerequisite(s): suitable preparation for fieldwork and facility and competence in subject matter area; students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 198F Independent Field Study

Provides for department-sponsored individual field study off campus for which faculty supervision is not in person but by correspondence. May not be counted toward major requirements. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring

ENVS 215 GIS and Environmental Applications

Explores geographic information systems as the technology of digital processing of spatial data, including subsystems of input, storage and retrieval, manipulation and analysis, and data reporting and map output. Applications emphasize GIS as a decision support system for environmental problem solving.

Credits

5

ENVS 260 Economic Institutions and the Environment

Focuses on the economy's utilization of natural resources and ecosystems from the perspectives of New Institutional Economics (NIE) and Ecological Economics (EE). Concepts and tools from NIE and EE are introduced and then explored in the context of the extraction, transformation, transfer (sale), end-use, and deposition/recycling of natural resources. Open to advanced undergraduates with instructor permission.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ECON 260

Instructor

Brent Haddad

Requirements

Open to advanced undergraduates with instructor permission. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

ENVS 262 Property Rights and the Environment

Examines the property rights bases of environmental change and resource-based conflict. Early sessions offer a theoretical understanding of property rights. Subsequent sessions apply the theory to local, national, and international environmental issues and conflicts. Companion course to course 260/Economics 275.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ECON 262

Instructor

Brent Haddad

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students; open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.

ENVS 281C Advanced Readings in Risk and Public Policy

Advanced readings and research on environmental risk and public policy. Explores environmental decision making given the question of the burden of proof and scientific uncertainty and grapples, in an advanced manner, with emergent policy alternatives, such as the precautionary principle. Also offered as course 291C for 3 credits.

Credits

5

Instructor

S Rajan

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): ENVS 172 or equivalent work demonstrated by an interview. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.