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FW 562 - Fish and Wildlife Population Dynamics

  • 3 credits
FW 562 will examine the factors that influence the growth and decline of fish and wildlife populations and the assumptions and application of models used to predict changes in populations over time.  It blends ecology and mathematical modeling to describe changes in animal populations over time. Course materials cover single-species population growth models as well as multi-species topics such as predation and competition. Students will learn about and work on building population models. A thorough understanding of population dynamics is crucial for biologists, managers, and administrators that study or manage wild animal populations.

Prerequisite

MATH 155 (Calculus for Biological Scientists I) or MATH 160 (Calculus for Physical Scientists I (GT-MA1)); LIFE 220 (Fundamentals of Ecology (GT-SC2)) or LIFE 320 (Ecology); STAT 301 (Introduction to Statistical Methods) or STAT 307 (Introduction to Biostatistics); Graduate standing. Or, if the listed prerequisites are not met, instructor permission is needed.

Important Information

Registration is restricted to FWCB Plan C Masters students through December 2. Any seats remaining in the course will be available to non-Plan C students after December 2.

Instructors

Dr. T. Luke George

Luke.George@colostate.edu

I am a Senior Research Associate at Colorado State University and an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Wildlife at Humboldt State University (HSU). I was a professor at HSU from 1991-2011 where I taught a variety of courses at HSU including Population Ecology, Conservation Biology, Parameter Estimation, Ornithology, ANOVA and Experimental Design, and Introduction to Wildlife Management. My research has focused on songbird ecology, demography, habitat selection, and conservation but I have worked on a variety of species including Greater Sage-grouse, Golden Eagles, Northern Spotted Owls, and small mammals. I am currently is working with scientists at USGS to develop a Rapid Ecoregional Assessment of the Wyoming Basin and with faculty at CSU to review and possibly revise the subsistence harvest migratory bird survey in Alaska. Other projects include examining the effects of West Nile virus on the survival of landbirds across the US, estimating the abundance of golden eagles in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area, examining factors influencing the survival of broad-tailed hummingbirds in Rocky Mountain National Park, and estimating the abundance of corvids in old-growth redwood forests in northern California. From 2011-2014 I was a member of the Independent Science Review Panel that reviewed the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.