ESF 511: Herpetology

Description:

Competency Areas: Natural Communities II
Section A: Restricted to ES students.
Section B: Restricted to Integrated Learning Science/Environmental Education students.

Reptiles and amphibians pose several conservation challenges. We know many of the habitat attributes that herps depend on (networks of vernal pools for migratory salamanders, mosaics of uplands and diverse wetlands for freshwater turtles). But still many questions remain. What size area is necessary to support a given population? How far do individuals move in one season, or in a lifetime? In this course, we will examine the habitat needs of northeast herps. We will develop an understanding of the potential for herps to direct landscape-level conservation efforts in the northeast.