BIO 215 - Restoration Ecology

3 credit hours - Three hours weekly; one term.
This course meets the Biological and Physical Sciences General Education Requirement.

Learn basic techniques used to repair, restore and create ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on the diverse ecosystems of Maryland. Investigate how water quality is improved through established forest and meadow habitats, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, underwater grass meadows, and dune systems as well as through the construction of rain gardens and vegetated storm water treatment systems. This course does not satisfy a lab science requirement.

Prerequisite(s): Eligibility for ENG 101 /ENG 101A and either eligibility for any general education math or a score of 27 or better on the Arithmetic Placement Test or a B or better in MAT 005 .

Crosslisted: Also offered as BIO 215H ; credit is not given for both BIO 215 and BIO 215H .

Location(s) Typically Offered: Arnold Main Campus (MC) and Off Campus (OF)

Term(s) Typically Offered: Fall and spring

Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Identify and describe the morphology of abiotic and trophic levels in the U.S. ecosystems.
Analyze the structural and functional roles of the major plant structures.
Describe the role of site hydrology for devising restoration strategies.
Identify and explain the factors that contribute to successful restoration protocols.
Differentiate between techniques to restore tidal, non-tidal, subaquatic grasses and manage wildlife and fishery populations.