Environmental and Natural Resources

Based largely on a detailed examination of one or more case studies of integrated planning projects that involve social, economic, engineered, biological, and ecological systems (e.g. pipeline routing and construction, highway construction, forest planning, hydroelectric dam construction, woodlot development projects, etc.). Students will work in practical settings and review and critique past or ongoing case studies. Students will be exposed to the operationalization and application of models in different resource management contexts. Focus will be on effective use of models, and barriers to integration among them in the field. This course also introduces the concept of adaptive management, and students will learn to the principles of adaptive management to explore and critique existing management approaches. Emphasis will be placed on examining and critiquing real world problems and issues. The intent is to prepare students for conducting their own integrated planning project by giving them exposure to the people, processes and places involved in existing projects.