FOR 175: Tree Biology

Course Code: FOR 175

Course Description

FOR 175 is a biology course that will explore trees and the properties that make them unique compared to other plants. In this introductory course you will develop an understanding of the biological attributes typical of trees, including growth, morphology, physiology and genetics, and how phenotypic variation is affected by different environments and conditions. You will also explore trees and their relationship to society. This course is lecture based with topics supplemented by readings, classroom, and laboratory activities that will allow you to apply biological and analytical techniques and data to forestry questions.

Course Objectives

Forestry is an interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding trees in order to both manage healthy forest functions and create sustainable economic and societal benefits. In our course tree biology will be defined as a branch of organismal biology that result from interactions at the level of biological integration above (populations) and below (cells, tissue, organs) the individual. This course is designed to provide you with an introduction in: (i) the understanding of key scientific concepts (ii) analyzing tree biology questions; (iii) understanding the science behind key tree biology questions; and (iv) using the scientific method to biological questions important in forestry.

In this course we focus on Information and Scientific literacy and hope that when you leave this course you will possess the tools necessary to clearly explain how tree biology contributes to the function and structure of forests along with a clear understanding of the dramatic impacts humans are having on naturally functioning forests. The primary objective for this course is to provide you with a fundamental understanding of tree biological processes to provide a context and basis of understanding that will guide your studies in forestry and beyond. Through a mix of formal lectures, in-class activities, and lab-based activities, you will learn to critically evaluate biological information.