Wild America: introduction the ecology and national parks of the United States

Week 1: Introduction to ecology, ecosystems and their components
Introductions
Ecoysystems
Climate

Week 2. 'Ancient' Volcanoes Yellowstone, Lassen
Basic geology of the US
Geologic History of the US
Thermophiles

Week 3. Forests: Decidious forests of the East
Soils and their formation
Role of fungi

Week 4: Deserts: hot, cold and sage: Death Valley +
Adaptations to heat & body energetics
The 3 types of deserts
How deserts are formed

Week 5: Swamps & Bogs and wetlands: Okeefenokee, Everglades
1. Introduction: what are wetlands
http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/Biology/wildamerica/cypressswamps/WAswamps/wetlands.html this should connect to: on first page
2. Tour of Okeefenokee
http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/Biology/wildamerica/cypressswamps/1alligator2.html
3. Question Tour to Nova Scotia:
http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/Biology/wildamerica/cypressswamps/fentour/novascotiafen.html

Week 6: The Great Divide: Arches, Canyonlands,
Paleoecology
Transitions up the mountains
Earlier Cultures

Week 7: Coastal shores & saltmarshes
How to deal with too much salt in your diet?

Week 8: Evergreen forests: the oldest and the biggest
Fire ecology :From redwoods to bristlecone and ponderosa
What is wood and the importance of longevity

Week 9 : Fresh water systems: Lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks:
The Great Lakes, Crater lake
Depth, light and diversity

Week 10: Montane tundra
Montane vs. arctic tundras: how do they differ?

Week 11: Grasslands and Badlands
Buffalo, and herbivore comebacks
Why grasses are some of the most advanced plants

Week 12: Rain forests of NA
Differences between NA rain forests and their more tropical counterparts.

Week 13: Finishing up our projects
Maryland's systems: last week : your presentations on our states own ecoystems:
Coastal: eastern shore or Annapolis
Serpentine: Soldier's Delight
Forests: ex. Catochin
Swamps/bogs: several cypress swamps or bog in W. MD

 
For each of the above ecosystems we will explore:
Geology: how the underlying base strata has lead to this unique formation
Geography: where are these systems located?
Plants: adaptations, morphology and species
Microbes: their role in modifying each system
Animals:adaptations, behavior, and guilds
Nutrient cycles & soil: this may appear boring, but it often the 'imbalances' in a given system which gives the system its uniqueness
Threats and realities of existence: where possible case studies
Illustrations of each system using examples from the national park system or state parks