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FOR
426 – Wildland Fire Ecology and Management – Fall 2009
Course Objectives: This class is designed to give you an in-depth understanding of fire ecology and management in a variety of wildland ecosystems. Sound wildland fire management depends upon understanding the ecological, social and economic and other factors. In this course, we focus on ecological effects of fires on plants, animals, soil, water and wildlife habitat, We will emphasize fire as an ecological process in wildland ecosystems, how to characterize and predict fire effects over time and space. Our discussions about fire management will address current issues related to fire ecology, including restoration, national fire management policy, fuels management and climate change. Fire management options vary greatly, and may include fuels management and education, fire suppression, wildland fire use, and igniting and managing a prescribed fire, post-fire rehabilitation, or no action. We have one field trip and a field assignment to complete. The course is designed for seniors and graduate students. By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Reading: The required text for this class is: Agee, J. K. 1993. Fire ecology of Pacific Northwest forests. New York: Island Press. In addition, I expect you to read widely in related scientific and other literature. Plagiarism will NOT be tolerated: In this class, you must summarize, paraphrase, quote and reference sources to avoid plagiarism in your writing. Academic honesty is expected of you at the University of Idaho. Consistent with the plagiarism policy of the Department of Forest Resources, plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism violates the code of academic conduct at the University of Idaho. Under UI policy, regulation O-2, "Consequences for academic dishonesty may be imposed by the course instructor. Such consequences may include but cannot exceed a grade of "F" in the course". If you are accused of plagiarism, you must meet with the course instructor and the chair of the department to discuss the evidence, circumstances, and consequences. If you have indeed plagiarized text, you will receive 0 points on the assignment, you may fail the course and your unethical behavior will affect recommendations for jobs and graduate school. Cite sources to support and lend credibility to your writing. Please be careful in citing sources for your ideas when you write. You should be aware that web-based searches for plagiarized text have become quite sophisticated. Even a sentence or two plagiarized in a long document is inexcusable. It is very tempting and easy to copy text directly, but it works against the educational process and is a form of theft. There are some good examples of plagiarized text as well as acceptable alternatives on the Forest Resources Departmental web site and elsewhere on the World Wide Web. Accommodations for disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodation(s) needed for the course. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Rm. 333, 885-7200,dss@uidaho.edu. Writing and deadlines: All of your written assignments must be turned in electronically (submit using Blackboard). Part (10%) of your grade on all written assignments will be based upon organization, clarity of reasoning, conciseness, grammar and spelling. Be sure to properly cite the source of your ideas to lend support and credibility to your assignment. No late papers will be accepted. Grading: Your final grade will be assigned according to the University of Idaho scale (90-100%=A, 80-89%=B, etc.) based on the points you earned out of total available:
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