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Philadelphia University S220 Conservation of Yellowstone National Park Spring Semester and May 8-15, 2004
Instructors: Dr. Anne Todd Bockarie Dr. Jeff Ashley Office: 312 Search Hall Office: 304 Search Hall Mail Box: 310 Search Hall Mail Box: 310 Search HallTelephone: 215-951-2877 Tel: 215-951-2779 Email: BockarieA@philau.edu Email: AshleyJ@philau.edu Office Hours: MW 11-12 Office Hours: M 12-1, WF 2-3
Class Times: Th: 2:35-3:25 pm. Seminar and discussion. May 8-15. Intensive field course at Yellowstone National Park in WY. Students will be involved in planning and preparing for the field component of the course. Note: Wildlife observation often requires modifying normal work hours which means we may be in the field at 4 am or 4 pm depending on the species studied.
Texts: Schullery, P. 1997. Searching for Yellowstone: Ecology and Wonder in the Last Wilderness. Houghton Mifflin Co. New York, NY. 338 pp. ISBN: 0-395-84174-7 Additional readings on reserve via ERES, Gutman library or as handouts Information regarding this course (syllabus, travel information, pictures) may be found on the course website at http://faculty.philau.edu/ashleyj/yellowstone.htm Course Description: Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is a fascinating case history of conservation policy in the United States. The geographic, recreational, biochemical, geothermal, floral and faunal resources have been and continue to be viewed as magnificent and other-worldly by the earliest inhabitants to 20th Century tourists and land managers. We will study the “big men with fine personalities” and the “wild romantic splendor” of the resources as well as debate the implications of current and past management strategies and policies of the park. The purpose of this course is to become intimately familiar with a nationally-known case study and to analyze the historical, economic, political, scientific and cultural significance of its management. Fieldwork will emphasize animal behavior techniques, interrelationships of species in extreme environments, natural history methodology and biogeochemical forces. Students will analyze and present their findings on the web or in person at Philadelphia University. Course Overview and Assignments: Assignments: We are organizing an expedition! Each person will participate in: 1) generating a safety list and set of group rules 2) planning the trip itinerary: which sites we will visit, how to get there, how far between stops, what we are looking for, history of the site or other background information 3) planning menus and cooking all meals 4) weekly update of weather, current events, wildlife and geothermal features by looking on-line 5) contributing to in-depth topic analysis We will use a seminar format for our weekly discussion which means each student should come prepared to share the results of their research on the topic and have formed an opinion supported by data (*START EARLY!) 1) *Fauna: Research an animal species and compare human use and management (hunting, regulation, protection), key field marks, reproduction, diurnal and seasonal patterns (foraging preferences, habitat preferences, migration), compare population numbers presently and in the past (common, endangered, rare, invasive), and one fact that surprised you. 2) *Flora: Research a plant species and compare human use and management (harvesting, regulation, protection), key field marks, reproduction and dispersal mechanisms, seasonal patterns (flowering, fruiting, defense mechanisms, foraged by whom), compare population numbers presently and in the past (common, endangered, rare, invasive), and one fact that surprised you. 3) Geothermal Feature: Select one or two of the Yellowstone geysers or other geothermal feature and research how it has been viewed by tourists, native Americans and early explorers, how it was named, characteristics of the feature, location, timing of eruptions, chemical gasses involved, pH, associated microbial and plant community, and one fact that surprised you. 4) Native Americans: Select one native American tribe and research who its leaders were, how they used Yellowstone, when and how they were removed from the park, where they live today, current demographics (population, average income, infant mortality rate, diseases, sources of income) and one fact that surprised you. (Yellowstone tribes include: Shoshone, Sheepeater, Blackfeet, Crow, Bannock, Nez Perce, Kalispel, Coeur d’Alene, Flathead, Sioux and Pend Oreille) 5) Follow in the footsteps of an early explorer. Where did they come from? Who did they travel with? What did they see and do? What impact did they have on the park? Merriweather Lewis and John Clark, Jim Bridger, Gustovas Doane, Nathaniel Langford, Henry Washburn, Cornelius Hedges, Judge William Kelley, Ulysses S. Grant, Horace Albright, George Graham Vest, Chief Joseph, General Philip Sheridan, Dan Kingman, Theodore Roosevelt 6) What impact have scientists had on shaping Yellowstone: Lee Whittlesey, Paul Rubinstein and Mike Stevens, A. Starker Leopold, John and Frank Craighead, E. O. Wilson, Robert MacArthur, Frederic Clements, Douglas Houston, George Bird Grinnell, Robert Cahn, Alston Chase, Edward Grumbine 7) Outline the role of two of the following agencies in shaping Yellowstone National Park: USGS, National Park Service, the US Army, US Army Corps of Engineers, Northern Pacific Railroad, American Fur Company, Department of the Interior, Yellowstone Park Improvement Company, Yellowstone Park Company, US Fish Commission, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US National Fish and Wildlife Service, US National Wildlife Refuge System, T.W. Recreational Services, Hamilton Stores, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, UNESCO’s Man in the Biosphere Program, World Heritage Committee, Greater Yellowstone Association of Conservation Districts 8) Describe an geological event: What was the impact on Yellowstone of earthquakes, volcanos, The Little Ice Age, Glaciers, Global Climate Change 9) Outline the impact of one of the following episodic forces of change: disease, horse, obsidian trade, trapping, hunting, tourism, fire, battles, ranching, logging, mining, livestock, gold, railroad, PCR reaction, development, drought, urbanization 10) What impact did the artists have? Find examples of artwork and describe how this work influenced Yellowstone’s history (Thomas Moran, William Henry Jackson, FJ Haynes, Harpers, Field and Stream, Scribners, Edward Abbey, Robert Reamer, Owen Wister, Frances Joyce Farnsworth, Joseph Sax 11) Who were the ‘big men with fine personalities” who administered Yellowstone from its inception. Who were they? Where did they come from? What impact on the park did they have? Stephen J. Mather, John Townsley, Jack Anderson, Edmund Rogers, Mike Finley, Bruce Babbitt, Nathaniel Langford, Philetus Norris, Patrick Conger, Robert Barbee, Robert Carpenter, David Wear, George Henderson, George Anderson, SBM Young, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, William Hallett Phillips, Horace Albright 12) What impact did the following Federal laws have on shaping Yellowstone: National Park Service 1916, National Forest Service 1905, Wilderness Act 1964, NEPA 1969, ESA 1973, National Forest Management Act 1976, Geothermal Steam Act 1970 Grading: Attendance and class
participation ………………200 General Policies: Our goal is to provide sufficient structure and materials to encourage a learning environment. If there are any additional topics that you would like to cover, please feel free to suggest them and we will do our best to work them into the schedule. We assume that you will conduct yourselves in a professional manner which means you will attend all classes, arrive on time, come prepared to actively participate, complete all assignments promptly, use library, computer, internet and other resources effectively and do your own work. Any plagiarism, cheating, or unexcused absences will face immediate action as described in the Philadelphia University Student Handbook. Fieldwork will be rescheduled only in the case of severe weather (eg hurricane warning or earthquake). While on a field course I agree to observe the laws of the United States, and to adhere to the University’s Student Code of Conduct and all other applicable rules and regulations of Philadelphia University as well as those of the host institution. I understand that violation of academic or disciplinary guidelines may constitute grounds for my expulsion from the program and may incur action by the Student Conduct Committee. Illegal Drugs: I understand that the use or possession of illegal drugs during the program is cause for immediate dismissal without refund. Involuntary Withdrawal: I acknowledge that return passage and all other expenses occasioned by my involuntary withdrawal from the program shall be my sole and exclusive financial responsibility. Students who are dismissed from their field course will be:
Course Schedule Date Reading Assignment
Jan 15 No Reading
Assignment No Written Assignment Feb 5 Ch 3 Wild Romantic Splendor 5 Feb 12 Ch 4 A Public Park 7 Feb 19 Ch 5 Ecological Holocaust 1 Feb 26 Ch 6 Privations and Inconveniences 10 Mar 4 Ch 7 A Single Rock 2 Mar 18 Ch 8 Big Men w/Fine Personalities 11 Mar 25 Ch 9 Reasonable illusions 12 Apr 1 Ch 10 The High Price of Success 3 Apr 8 Ch 11 Greater Yellowstone 6 Apr 15 Ch 12 Holocene Park 9 Apr 22 Ch 13 Imaging Yellowstone No Written Assignment
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