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Travis Idol's Academics Page
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| Fall Semester
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Special Topics: Environmental Ethics (taught occasionally)
Evaluation of Natural Resource Management |
| Spring Semester
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Tropical Forestry and
Agroforestry (even years)
Internship
Forest Nutrition and Biogeochemistry (odd years)
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| Summer Session
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Field Course in Tropical Forestry  |
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NREM
380: Tropical
Forestry and Agroforestry
(syllabus in pdf format)
Format:
Three 50-minute lectures. On alternate Friday class sessions, we will have class presentations
and discussions on relevant topics. Two Saturday field trips (half-day) will substitute for individual class sessions.
A 3-day optional field trip to the island of Hawaii is scheduled during Spring Break. The department
normally subsidize expenses for this trip.
Pre-requisites:
BIOL 171 and CHEM 161 or consent of instructor.
Readings:
- Elevitch, C.R. and K.M. Wilkinson. 2000. Agroforestry
guides for Pacific islands.
Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, HI.
- Various assigned readings and handouts from the instructor.
Objectives:
- Understand the biophysical environment of tropical forests
- Become familiar with traditional
and modern forest management planning and practices
- Develop practical skills in forest inventory measurement and analysis
- Understand the traditional role and modern potential of tropical
agroforestry as a land management system
Assignments:
- Field Trip Assignments: Field trips will be used to collect real-world
data on forest structure and dynamics. Students will be expected to
summarize and analyze this data according to assignment directions.
(15%)
- In-class participation: Students will be expected to give
presentations on class topics or lead discussion on relevant issues
covered in class during the alternate Friday discussion sessions. (20%)
- Mid-term examinations: There will be mid-term two examinations during
the course of the semester. (20% each)
- Final Exam: There will be a final comprehensive examination. (25%)
Schedule of Topics
Weeks 1-2: Tropical Forests and Life Zone Classifications
Discussion: How well does Hawaii fit in life zone classification schemes?
Weeks 3-5: Tree and Forest Structure, Dynamics, and Measurements
Field Trip: Forest Measurements and Inventory
Discussion: Comparison of forest inventory and analysis procedures
Week 6: Forests and Forestry in Hawaii
Exam 1
Weeks 7-8: Tropical Forest Management from Pre-history to European Colonization
Discussion: The controversial role of shifting cultivation in tropical forest management
Weeks 9-10. Modern Silvicultural Systems
Discussion: Plantation forestry in the tropics
Week 11: Optional Field Trip to Hawaii Island
Week 12-15. Tropical Agroforestry Systems
Exam 2
Field Trip: Examples of agroforestry systems
Discussion: Tree-crop interactions in agroforestry systems
Weeks 16-17. Designing Sustainable Forestry Systems
Discussion: Sustainable forestry in the tropics
Final Exam
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NREM
492: Internship
(syllabus
in pdf format)
Pre-requisites: Restricted
to NREM undergraduates. Recommended for students with junior year
standing.
Course Description
Internship is a 4-credit, writing
intensive course
that is a graduation requirement for all CTAHR majors. It is offered in
spring semesters only and consists of two parts, a one-hour and 15
minute weekly meeting during the semester and a work period during the
following summer. The classroom portion features seminars or discussion
sessions on professionalism, ethics, conflict resolution, resume
preparation, and interviewing skills, which are held jointly with other
CTAHR Internship courses. In addition, a field trip incorporates
speakers from the animal science/horticultural/agricultural industry or
service organizations who discuss their respective businesses, their
career development and career opportunities. There are numerous writing
assignments, including an extensive report of the field experience, a
journal, a term paper, joint session assignments, and a resume. An oral
presentation is also required.
The work experience portion of the
course is conducted at
an approved site. An agreement involving the employer, student and
instructor is developed prior to the work experience. A minimum of 135
hours of work experience is required. You will complete a journal and a
10-page written report of the work experience. Your report will include
such items as a description of the operation, an analysis of the
business (horticultural/agricultural practices, personnel management,
etc.), and an evaluation of your work experience in relation to new
techniques obtained, relationship to your academic knowledge, and its
effect on your future plans. Your employer will complete an evaluation
of your performance at the end of your employment. Because part of the
course will take place after the spring semester, you will receive an
incomplete (I) for the spring semester. The I will be changed to a
grade, after your 10-15 page written report and employer evaluation is
received.
The purpose of the work experience
portion of the course is to obtain experience in a supervised
environment that will enable students to: a) acquire work experience in
a horticultural/ agricultural industry or related service agency; b)
integrate and apply knowledge from your academic program to practical
work responsibilities; c) obtain experience in decision-making and to
gain an understanding of interpersonal skills needed to work
productively with employers, co-workers and customers/clients; d)
determine whether you have a real interest in this field as a career;
e) develop personal contacts with people in this industry and f)
identify weaknesses in your education. For help in finding an internship,
use the list of past internships that
former NREM 492 students have completed.
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NREM
686: Forest Nutrition and Biogeochemistry
(syllabus in pdf format)
Format: Two 50-minute lectures and one 50-minute
discussion section.
Pre-requisites: Restricted to graduate students or
senior undergraduate students. Undergraduate ecology course, e.g. BIOL 265, BOT 351, 453/454 or
equivalent and undergraduate soils course, e.g. NREM 304 or equivalent.
Objectives: To understand the major components and
processes of terrestrial biogeochemistry, with an emphasis on internal
nutrient cycling, relationships of biogeochemistry to ecosystem
structure and function, and responses to changes in vegetation and
climate.
Readings:
- Fisher RF and Binkley D. 2000. Ecology and Management of Forest Soils. Wiley & Sons, New York.
- Schlesinger WH. 1997. Biogeochemistry: an Analysis of Global Change. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
- Vitousek PM. 2004. Nutrient Cycling and Limitation: Hawaii as a Model System. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
These are background readings for the lectures. They are not
required but may be helpful if you are not familiar with the concepts
being covered in class that week. A copy of each textbook is on reserve
at Sinclair Library. Other background readings will be available either
electronically or placed in the course binder in Sherman 201.
Electronic copies will be posted at the Laulima website for this course
(http://laulima.hawaii.edu).
- Journal articles and other publications for the discussion
session are required readings, as you will be graded on your write-up
and participation in the discussion. A copy of readings will be
available either electronically or placed in the course binder in
Sherman 201.
Assignments:
- Article Discussions: Each week, 2 major articles will be
assigned for both background preparation and discussion in Friday's
class. A pair of students will be assigned to lead the discussion of
each article, according to guidelines in the syllabus. Other students
will be required to participate in the discussion.
- Article Reviews: After the Friday discussion, all students
will be required to critically evaluate one of the articles discussed
in class, according to guidelines in the syllabus.
- Two in-class examinations: During Weeks 6 and 11;
short-essay format.
- Final project: Students will be required to write a
research grant proposal according to the format and guidelines of
either the EPA STAR program or the NSF dissertation strengthening
program, both geared toward graduate students. The research outlined in
the proposal should be relevant to the topics covered in class, but it
may incorporate ideas and concepts outside of class that fall within
the student's discipline area. The completed proposal and a 10-minute
presentation outlining the proposed research are due during
finals week.
Basics of Biogeochemistry
- Systems Ecology: How to Think Like a Biogeochemist.
- Origin of Soil Minerals and Weathering Reactions.
- Soil Development and Biogeochemical Processes.
- Nutrient Inputs to Terrestrial Ecosystems.
- Nutrient Outputs from Terrestrial Ecosystems.
Forest Nutrient Cycling
- Forest Nutrition and Nutrient Limitations.
- Nutrient Use Efficiency: Adapting to Nutrient Limitations.
- Integration of Energy, Carbon and Nutrient Cycles.
Mid-Term Exam.
- Nitrogen Cycling I: A Global Perspective.
- Nitrogen Cycling II: Biogeochemistry at the Ecosystem Level.
- Spring Break. No Class.
- Phosphorus Cycling I: Inorganic and Organic Cycling Pathways
- Phosphorus Cycling II: Plant Access and Uptake Mechanisms
Management Strategies to Enhance and Sustain Forest Nutrition
- Fertilization I. Forms of Fertilizer, Application Methods, and Expected Responses.
- Fertilization II. Effects on Ecosystem Processes.
- Nitrogen Fixation. Effects on Forest Nutrition and Biogeochemistry.
- Forest Harvesting: Effects on Nutrition and Biogeochemistry.
- Finals Week: Presentations of Final Projects
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NREM
491: Special Topics-Environmental Ethics
(syllabus in pdf format)
Format: Two 50-minute lectures and a 50-minute
discussion section.
Prerequisites: NREM 210 or a basic philosophy course, e.g. PHIL
103.
Objectives:
- Learn the basic philosophical foundations of ethics, especially in
reference to environmental issues
- Understand how ethical principles are applied to environmental study,
management, and regulation
- Analyze the ethical dimensions of environmental issues at the personal,
professional, political, and cultural levels
Assignments:
- General discussions of ethical issues.
- Case study presentations and formalized debates.
- Examinations: Two in-class exams will be given during Weeks
6 and 11. Questions will require either short answer or short essay
responses.
- Final project: A more detailed case study and presentation in class.
Module 1. Philosophical Foundations for Environmental Ethics
- Introduction to Ethics
Class discussion: constructing good ethical arguments
- Act Consequentialism and Utilitarianism
Group Discussion: Drilling in ANWR
- Deontology and Theories of Rights
- Rules of the Game and Economics of Environment
Group Discussion: The "value" of environmental services
- Free Market Environmentalism and Green Economics
Exam 1
Module 2. Non-Anthropocentric Ethics of the Environment
- Aldo Leopold and the land ethic I.
- Aldo Leopold and the land ethic II.
Class Discussion: Is recycling a sound waste management strategy?
- Deep ecology and the concept of “wildness”
Group Discussion: The ethics of whaling around the world
- Ecofeminism
Class Discussion: Have we been getting it backwards all along? A discussion of ecofeminism
- Professional Ethics in Environmental Fields
Exam 2
Module 3. Case Studies of Environmental Ethics
The final module will consist of specific topics that will change
from year to year, based on student interest and current events.
Previous examples have included:
- Animal rights and human responsibilities
- Agricultural Ethics
- Genetically Modified Organisms
- Sustainability As a Goal of Human Enterprise and Development
Finals: Case Study Presentation and Paper
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NREM 600: Evaluation of Natural Resource Management
Schedule: Monday and Friday from 2:00-3:15 PM.
Pre-requisites: Restricted to NREM graduate students. Basic biology
and chemistry course required.
Objective: To analyze the biophysical potential and limitations
of natural resource management approaches and evaluate the success or
failure of actual management programs.
Assignments: Students will be given occasional assignments and
quizzes based on the current topic. A final project will be assigned
that may be completed either individually or in groups. A project outline
and rough draft will be due during the semester. The final project report
and presentation will be due at the end
of the semester.
Example Topics:
- Soil properties, processes, and conservation issues
- The hydrologic cycle and watershed structure and function
- Forest productivity, development, and response to management
- Evaluation of sustainable forest management
- Evaluation of watershed management and modeling
- Evaluation of soil conservation practices in the tropics
- Using spatial data analysis tools to manage natural resources
- Revisiting the ahupua'a approach to natural resource management
Readings: Readings will generally be textbook chapters, technical reports, and scientific articles supplies either in class
or online. See links below for specific readings.
Sustainable Forestry
Lecture Notes (pdf)
Readings
- Week 1. Introduction to Sustainable Forestry
- Week 2. Evaluation of Forestry Certification
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FOR 398: Field Course in Tropical Forestry
Schedule:
- July 16-August 03, 2007
- Monday through Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Pre-requisites:
- Background and interest in forestry.
- Coursework or experience in biology, soil science, and forestry.
- Ideal for forestry undergraduates, new grad students, or forestry professionals.
Objectives:
- Learn about the diversity of tropical forests and the natural history
of Hawaii's forests.
- Evaluate the role of forest plantations in tropical forestry.
- See first-hand the threats to tropical forest conservation.
- Visit active forest conservation
and restoration projects.
- Review forest inventory and analysis techniques.
- Develop a draft forest management plan to promote sustainable forestry
in Hawaii.
Assignments: All assignments will be completed in small groups. Students will evaluate group member contributions.
- Use data supplied by instructors or gathered in the field to evaluate forest and forestry conditions.
- Discuss forest conservation, restoration, and sustainable forestry options
for the tropics and Hawaii.
- Use forest inventory data to make growth and yield predictions.
- Final project: develop a preliminary forest management plan for a specific
tropical forest in Hawaii.
Course Schedule (subject to change)
Week 1: Introduction to Hawaii’s Tropical Forests
- Tropical Forest Classification and Life Zones in Hawaii
- Natural History of Hawaii's Forests and Forestry
- Field Trips to Different Forest Life Zones
- Assignments: Classifying Life Zones; Discussing Tropical Forest Management
Challenges and Opportunities
Week 2: Plantation Forests and Forestry
- Variety of Plantation Forests in the Tropics and Hawaii
- Review of Forest Inventory and Analysis Techniques
- Field Trips to Various Plantation Forests in Hawaii
- Assignments: Forest Growth and Yield Predictions; Discussing
the Role of Tropical Plantation Forests
Week 3: Forest Restoration and Conservation
- Global to Local Issues: Loss and Alteration of Forest Cover, Invasive
Species, Climate Change
- Restoration and Conservation Initiatives in Hawai
- Field Trips to Forest Conservation and Restoration Projects in Wet
and Dry Forests
- Assignments: Develop and Present Miniature Forest Management Plan
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