Ecosystem Processes and Services

Course Code:
NRS 520
Course Group(s):
Degree Applicable
Course Description:

Ecosystem services are the sum of all goods and services that natural and managed ecosystems provide to humanity. These services range from providing food and clean drinking water to providing recreational activities and spiritual fulfillment. While these services from nature underpin our lives, most have been undervalued historically in land use, economic, and policy decisions. In extreme cases, the value of ecosystem services is only recognized after they are lost. In this course, we will examine how ecosystem services are measured and related to basic ecological processes, and how these services are valued when considering their interplay with economic, societal, and political challenges. Through hands-on experiences in the Adirondack region participants will learn to identify and characterize the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being and develop approaches to integrating ecosystem services into decision making in natural resources conservation. 

Credit:
3
Prerequisites:

Enrollment in the MS-NRC program.

Degrees & Certificates
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