Ecological Restoration Courses

Design Principles for Natural Processes

Ecological restoration is a rapidly changing subject. Practitioners and professionals faced with restoration of degraded ecosystems are seeking ways to restore these systems in the face of climate change and continued urban expansion.

The traditional values and assumptions that have gone along with developments are no longer holding true. Answering the questions faced by restoration professionals requires exploring a new approach to the field of restoration. New questions need to be asked and answered as restoration takes on a much broader role in the world.

This course aims to address these new challenges to traditional reclamation and restoration by identifying natural processes involved in maintaining ecosystems and how they are recreated in restoration projects. It also addresses the element of design where a particular restoration project accommodates special requirements.

Format

Online Brightspace-based format over a 14-week period, requiring approximately 10 hours of coursework per week

Ecosystem Design through Propagation of Native Plants

This is an advanced course on ecosystem design that considers the ecology and reproductive biology of plants when restoring ecosystems. In this course, we’ll examine the principles and ethics of native plant selection, harvesting and propagation to meet site-specific design objectives such as which species need to be closely matched genetically (geographically) for the propagated stock.

Other course topics include:

• pollinators
• peripheral populations
• dispersal agents
• hybridization.

We’ll also explore the implications for green or living roofs and the impact of climate change.

The course includes an overview of the goals and foundations of ecological restoration and how restoration nurseries grow appropriate restoration species.

Format

Online Brightspace-based format over a 14-week period, requiring approximately 10 hours of coursework per week

Invasive Species and Novel Ecosystems

Invasive species are highly successful species often dispersed by people, frequently transported by commercial or recreational activities. In this course we’ll examine the biology of invasive species, focusing on the life-history adaptations and dispersal strategies that contribute to their success at both the individual and population levels.

Upon completing the course, you’ll be able to:

• identify common invasive species
• describe their distributions, life cycles, growth habits, reproductive characteristics and adaptation

You’ll also learn about control options including preventative, cultural, biological and chemical control methods.

Finally, you’ll explore novel ecosystems that are created when invasive species insert themselves into the fabric of natural ecosystems, and the problems they pose to traditional approaches to ecosystem management such as when an endangered species becomes dependent on an invasive species for its survival.

Format

Online Brightspace-based format over a 14-week period, requiring approximately 10 hours of coursework per week.

Restoration Ecology

This course provides advanced instruction on the ecological theory underlying restoration projects, emphasizing those unexpected connections which have significant implications. The course aims to encourage students to broaden their approach to ecological restoration and deepen their understanding of the way that nature works.

You will explore the foundations of ecology as they apply to restoration ecology. This includes ecological theories, vegetation dynamics, trophic interactions and provocative issues such as assisted dispersal, and hyperabundant and invasive species. You will also apply practical elements of advanced restoration ecology including adaptive management, decision-support tools, conceptual models, effective communication and technical writing using a planning framework.

Special Topics in Ecological Restoration: Climate Change in Ecological Restoration

Climate change has many implications for how we conceptualize and practice ecological restoration. In this online course, you will explore how climate change can impact the direction of restoration activities through course activities and exploration of current literature.

Learning objectives

When you have finished the course, you will be able to:

• Give examples demonstrating the physical and biological effects of climate change on species and ecosystems
• Evaluate the use and efficacy of climate change tools (e.g. climate envelope models) in restoration planning
• Critically assess how climate change has impacted restoration theory and practice in the 21st century
• Critically analyze climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in restoration practise
• Demonstrate how restoration can be used to further our understanding of, and response to, climate change

Format

Online Brightspace-based format over a 14-week period, requiring approximately 10 hours of coursework per week.