Department of Environmental Conservation

The Field

Conserving Earth’s biological diversity and safeguarding the benefits or “ecosystem services” that functioning ecosystems provide humans are two major objectives of natural resources conservation.  As human populations increase and natural resources and habitats become more limited, there is a critical need for trained conservation professionals in natural resources conservation.  This major provides students with the academic background and professional training to pursue careers in the rapidly growing field of natural resources and environmental conservation. Natural Resources Conservation is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates rigorous academic training in the natural, conservation, and social sciences with hands-on field skills; and field experiences from summer jobs, internships, and cooperative education positions with conservation organizations and the green industry.  Students learn about the ecology of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and how these systems can be managed to conserve biodiversity and protect ecosystem functions while providing sustainable benefits to society.

Career Opportunities

Broad academic training in the sciences and math in combination with specialized training within the NRC concentrations prepare students for professional employment in state, federal, and non-profit conservation organizations, as well as environmental consulting firms and the green industry, or if students choose, to continue to graduate training.  There are a wide variety of careers in natural resources conservation, ranging from professional foresters and plant ecologists; wildlife and fisheries technicians and biologists; park managers and rangers; naturalists, environmental educators and outdoor recreation specialists; watershed scientists; water and landuse planners; and environmental lawyers, policy-makers and conservation law enforcement officers.  An education in natural resources conservation also provides students with the tools and knowledge to live a more sustainable life and to be a strong advocate for sound environmental stewardship.

The Major

The Natural Resources Conservation major provides students rigorous academic training in the natural, conservation, and social sciences with hands-on field skills and field experiences from summer jobs, internships, and cooperative education positions with conservation organizations and the green industry. Students learn about the ecology of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and how these systems can be managed to conserve biodiversity and protect ecosystem functions while providing sustainable benefits to society.

Students in the Natural Resources Conservation major focus on one of the following six concentrations:

• Environmental Conservation
• Fisheries Ecology & Conservation
• Forest Ecology & Conservation
• Urban Forestry & Arboriculture
• Water Resources
• Wildlife Ecology & Conservation

No matter what concentration is chosen, all natural resources conservation majors begin with a series of foundation courses in the conservation, natural and social sciences, and mathematics.  Students then take specialized courses designed to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level employment, graduate training, and professional certification in a conservation concentration.  Hands-on field skills integrated into the coursework and field experiences from summer jobs, internships, and cooperative education positions are essential components of  the professional training in natural resources conservation. Natural Resource Conservation program mission, goals, and objectives: When students graduate from UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Conservation they will be able to:

• Acquire and analyze data describing the biological and social aspects of the environment.
• Make management decisions about land and water that integrate relevant ecological, physical, and social information.
• Appreciate the natural complexity of ecosystems, and the interdisciplinary nature of their conservation.
• Understand the multiple values of ecosystems and the environment across the spectrum of circumstances, from urban to rural and from developed to wild. Communicate to the public that natural resource conservation is essential to long-term sustainability.
• Behave professionally and ethically in the management of the environment for the benefit of society.

Curriculum

In addition to the University General Education requirements, the Natural Resources major requires completion of the following – Basic Science and Math Requirements:

• BIOLOGY 100 and 101 -or- 102 and 103 Introductory Animal Biology
• BIOLOGY 287 Introduction to Ecology
• CHEM 110 General Chemistry
• PHYSIC 100 Conceptual Physics or PHYSCI 139 Introduction to Physics, or CHEM 250 Organic Chemistry
• MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry, and Trigonometry
• RES-ECON 211 Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences
• RES-ECON 102 Introduction to Resource Economics (or ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics for UF&A Concentration), or RES-ECON 262 Environmental Economics, or RES-ECON 263 Natural Resource Economics
• GEO-SCI 100 Global Environmental Change or GEO-SCI 101 The Earth or 102 The Human Landscape or 103 Introductory Oceanography or 105 Dynamic Earth or 201 History of the Earth or PLSOILIN 105 Soils

Required Department Courses:

• 100 Environment and Society
• 191A The Built Environment
• 225 Forests and People
• 260 Fisheries Conservation
• 261 Wildlife Conservation
• 212 Forest Tree and Shrub Identification (or ENVDES 335 Plants in the Landscape for UF&A concentration)
• 297S Introduction to Spatial Information (NRC 592G Intro to GIS for Forest Ecology and Conservation concentration)
  
• 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
• 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration (or RES-ECON 140 or 141)
• NATRES&E 397A Junior Writing Course

The Minor

The minor is designed to introduce students from a variety of other disciplines to global conservation issues, and to provide them the knowledge and tools essential for wise stewardship of natural resources. This minor may aid students in developing their own personal commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, making career choices, and broadening their options for graduate school and future employment. A minimum of 15 credits is required.

Select two of the following:

• NRC 232 Principles of Arboriculture (3cr-fall)
• NRC 225 Forests & People (3cr-sprg)
• NRC 260 Fish Conservation & Mgt (3cr-fall)
• NRC 261 Wildlife Conservation (3cr-sprg)

II. Select three courses with no more than two courses from any one group:

A. Forest Conservation & Urban Forestry

• NRC 310 Community Forestry(3cr-sprg)
• NRC 305 Commercial Arboriculture (3cr-fall)
• NRC 521 Harvesting (3cr-sprg even yrs)
• NRC 526 Silviculture (4cr-fall even yrs)
• NRC 534 Forest Measurements (4cr-fall odd yrs)
• NRC 597U Urban Forestry (3cr-fall)

B. Conservation Policy/Human Dimensions

• NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Res. Mgt (4cr-fall)
• NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy & Administration (3cr-sprg)
• NRC 597P Water Resources Management & Policy (3cr-fall even yrs)

Minor Curriculum Sheet

The Courses

(All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise noted.)

• 100 Environment and Society (I)
  (1^st sem)
• 102 Arboriculture Field Techniques I (1^st sem) 2 cr
• 120 Basic Scuba 2 cr
• 121 Advanced Scuba — Warm Water 2 cr
• 122 Advanced Scuba — Cold Water 2 cr
• 191 Seminar in Arboriculture and Park Management (2 cr)
• 191A The Built Environment (1^st sem)
• 197A Forest Fire Control (2^nd sem)1 cr
• 205 Introduction to Outdoor Recreation (1^st sem even yrs)
• 210 Arboriculture Field Techniques II (2^nd sem) 2 cr
• 211 Animal Sampling and Identification(1^st sem) 1 cr
• 212 Forest Tree and Shrub Identification(1^st sem) 2 cr
• 225 Forests and People (2^nd sem)
• 260 Fisheries Conservation (1^st sem)
• 261 Wildlife Conservation (2^nd sem)
• 297F Fish Sampling and Identification (1^st sem) 1 cr
  
• 297S Introduction to Spatial Information Technologies (2^nd sem)
• 305 Commercial Arboriculture (1^st sem)
• 310 Community Forest Management (2^nd sem)
• 332 Principles of Arboriculture (1^st sem)
• 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management (1^st sem) 4 cr
• 391A Curriculum Planning (1^st sem) 1 cr
• 409 Natural Resource Policy and Administration (2^nd sem)
• 470 Ecology of Fish (2^nd sem even yrs) 4 cr
• 492 Verbal Communication Skills (1^st sem) 2 cr
• 515 Forest Fire Management (2^nd sem odd yrs)
• 521 Timber Harvesting (2^nd sem odd yrs)
• 526 Silviculture (1^st sem even yrs) 4 cr
• 528 Forest and Wetland Hydrology (1^st sem)
• 534 Forest Measurements (1^st sem odd yrs) 4 cr
• 540 Forest Resources Management (2^nd sem) 4 cr
• 564 Wildlife Habitat Management (1^st sem) 4 cr
• 565 Dynamics and Management of Wildlife Populations (1^st sem) 4 cr
• 571 Fisheries Science and Management (1^st sem even yrs) 4 cr
• 577 Ecosystem Modeling and Simulation (2^nd sem)
• 587 Introduction to Digital Remote Sensing (2^nd sem)
• 597C Case Studies in Conservation
• 592G Geographic Information Systems (1^st sem)
• 597E Endangered Species Management (2^nd sem) 2 cr
• 597G Geographic Information Systems Lab (1^st sem) 1 cr
• 597I Aquatic Ecology (2^nd sem odd yrs) 4 cr
• 597P Water Resources Management and Policy
• 597R Watershed Science and Management (2^nd sem)
• 597T Advanced Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation (1^st sem) 2 cr
• 597U Urban Forests; Structure, Function, and Value (1^st sem)
• 597W Wetlands Assessment and Field Techniques (2^nd sem odd yrs) 2 cr