This version of this exercise is not self standing (must be supported by lecture or reading), however, the material provided outlines the steps for an integrated study of diversity and sampling.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Reasons for the seasons (RFTS for short) is an interactive learning resource that leverages the popular Google Earth virtual globe. It is designed to help students and members of the public visualize and understand the multiple factors that influence Earth's seasons.

A case based upon the environmental devastation of the Aral Sea that illustrates economic concepts of opportunity cost and social marginal cost.

Cretaceous and Tertiary strata exposed in northern Alaska record clastic sediment deposition within a foreland basin adjacent to the ancestral Brooks Range, and form part of an important petroleum play. The goal of this U.S. Geological Survey report is to synthesize the complex stratigraphy of this area into a more simplified scheme. It discusses the regional geology of northern Alaska and the stratigraphy of the Colville Basin in detail. Maps, cross sections, correlation charts, and numerous outcrop photos with detailed captions accompany the text.

Highly selective bibliographies containing reviews and primary literature that are updated at least annually. A good place to start for papers, labs, and projects.

A database of and access to journal articles and book chapters found useful by college and university science students; built from student work at Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA, USA. Used in science courses (especially Biology and Psychology courses) at Grinnell College.

Open access brochure that explains the importance of seagrass and what the reader can do to help. 

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"What exactly is a forest? Most people have a mental picture of what a forest is. But beyond physical appearance are values associated with what this forest provides to people and nature. Depending on your perspective, a forest may be seen as a source of timber, an ecosystem containing important biological diversity, a home for indigenous people, or a sink for carbon. A single, uniform definition of forests is unable to capture these diverse perspectives, and applying only one definition can hinder conservation, management, and restoration efforts. Yet, clear definition criteria are needed for assessing forest loss or gain at large spatial scales. To address this predicament, an international research team discusses historical forest definitions and concepts, and provides guidelines for future researchers and policy makers to navigate the complex landscapes of modern forests. The way forward, they argue, requires multiple definitions designed and applied to specific goals..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource contains three sets of lecture notes on soil health related topics:1) Soil Inorganic Properties and Soil Microbiology 2) Soil Fungi, Algae and Cyanobacteria3) Links Between Soil Health and Plant/Animal Health

These lessons introduce some of the more important topics that are pertinent to a study of soil science. This information is put to use in the field for the description, identification, and mapping of soils, especially when estabilishing (or confirming) precision ag management zones.             These lab lessons were modified from earlier lab manuals, course materials, and other contributions of Texas Tech University Department of Plant and Soil Sciences faculty members (Dr. A.W. Young, Dr. Raymond Meyer, Dr. B.L. Allen, Dr. Richard Zartman, Dr. Cary Green, Dr. W.F. Jaynes and Dr. Jennifer Moore-Kucera).

This lab manual was created for LNT 100: Plant and Horticulture Science at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA by Professor of Horticulture and Design, Holly McMullen.  

This profile provides maps, charts, and tables pertaining to state capacity and generation of renewable electricity. Tables include data for total net summer capacity and total net generation with rankings for each category. Users can view this data alphabetically by state, by capacity, or by generation. An interactive map allows users to navigate to specific state profiles and view the top 10 renewable capacity states simultaneously.

This course covers introductory microbiology from a systems perspective, considering microbial diversity, population dynamics, and genomics. Emphasis is placed on the delicate balance between microbes and humans, and the changes that result in the emergence of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The case study approach covers such topics as vaccines, toxins, biodefense, and infections including Legionnaire’s disease, tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori, and plague.

Students use spreadsheets to analyze the reasons why New Orleans has subsided in the past 250 years.

Published by the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, the 600-page manual covers practical aspects of organic farming and gardening, applied soil science, and social and environmental issues in agriculture. Units contain lecture outlines for instructors and detailed lecture outlines for students, field and laboratory demonstrations, assessment questions, and annotated resource lists. Although much of the material has been developed for field or garden demonstrations and skill building, most of the units can also be tailored to a classroom setting.The training manual is designed for a wide audience of those involved in teaching farming and gardening, including colleges and universities with programs in sustainable agriculture, student farms or gardens, and on-farm education programs; urban agriculture, community garden, and farm training programs; farms with internships or apprenticeships; agriculture extension stations; school gardening programs; organizations such as the Peace Corps, US AID, and other groups that provide international training in food growing and ecological growing methods; and master gardener programs.

EME 807 overviews a wide range of contemporary technologies in the context of sustainability and examines metrics for their assessment. The course explores the main principles that guide modern science and technology towards sustainable solutions. It covers such topics as resource management technologies, waste and wastewater treatment, renewable energy technologies, high performance buildings and transportation systems, application of informatics and feedback to sustainable systems, and more. Learning in EME 807 heavily relies on real-life examples and taps into current practices of technology analysis. This course goes beyond understanding the background, fostering critical thinking and challenging the students to draw connections between social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable technologies.

This course analyzes cooperative processes that shape the natural environment, now and in the geologic past. It emphasizes the development of theoretical models that relate the physical and biological worlds, the comparison of theory to observational data, and associated mathematical methods.

The planet’s most endangered wolf is the red wolf, with only one wild population, a nonessential experimental group established in eastern North Carolina, of 15-17 individuals in existence as of 2022. The story of the red wolf is rich in history, dating back to the early 20th century wolf exterminations to the red wolf recovery program launched in 1967. Now, there are new issues on the rise. Shortly after the peak of success with the recovery program, red wolf numbers experienced a sharp decline due to human-caused mortality and hybridization with coyotes. This course seeks to understand the historical and modern events leading to the current state of the red wolf and prompts investigation into different restoration methods to form suggestions for the next best course of action. This lesson plan was created as part of an independent study in restoration ecology with Professor Marja Bakermans.

Ranks all 50 states in total energy production. Includes links to tables which rank production of crude oil, natural gas, coal, and electricity; crude oil emissions; total energy consumption; and energy prices.

Go behind the scenes at the Hastings Reserve to examine the social structure of acorn woodpeckers and western bluebirds and take a look at the restoration of California's native grasslands. The Hastings Reserve, the University of California Natural Reserve System's (NRS) Biological Field Station in the Santa Lucia mountain range in Monterey, was set aside in 1937 to be managed with minimal disturbance providing researchers an important ecosystem for study. (29 minuntes)