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Degree: Bachelor of Science Contact: David B. Kittredge, Jr. Office: 327 Holdsworth Phone: 545-2943 The Field The field of forestry is concerned with all aspects of the conservation and management of the forest vegetation that covers 40 percent of the earth's land surface. This is a challenging task, because forests provide benefits to society in two very different ways. Forest ecosystems are vital in providing wildlife habitat, protecting watersheds, providing wilderness and other forms of outdoor recreation opportunities, maintaining biodiversity of both plants and animals, and even controlling global climate. Forests also provide the raw materials for lumber, paper, and fuelwood, which are favored over many alternative materials because they are renewable resources. In fact, every year Americans use more wood by weight than all plastics, metals, and Portland cement combined. The challenge of forestry, then, is to plan for the harvest and regeneration of trees to provide these products, while still maintaining the environmental benefits that forest ecosystems provide. The Major There are two tracks in the major: 1) Forest Conservation and 2) Urban Forestry/Arbori-culture. The undergraduate curriculum consists of 1) a set of courses required of all forestry majors, consisting of basic science and math courses, professional forestry courses, and General Education and free electives, and 2) the choice of the Forest Conservation or Urban Forestry/Arboriculture Track. The Forest Conservation Track meets the requirements for employment as a forester with federal government agencies and is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. For the Urban Forestry/Arboriculture track, many students first complete the two-year Arboriculture and Park Management Program in the Stockbridge School and then transfer into the Urban Forestry/Arboriculture track for the final two years to complete the Bachelor of Science in Forestry. For information about the Urban Forestry/Arboriculture track, contact H. Dennis Ryan, tel. 545-6626. Forestry Conservation Curriculum Freshman Year BIOL 102 Introductory Animal Biology BIOL 103 Plant Biology NRC 100 Environment and Society NRC 150 Applied Ecology I NRC 191 Introduction to Natural Resources Professions MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry, and Trigonometry MATH 121 Linear Methods and Probability Sophomore Year CHEM 111 General Chemistry I ENVDES 335 Plant Materials I or BIOL 426 New England Flora NRC 290A Animal Sampling and Identification NRC 290E Applied Ecology II NRC 290P Plant Sampling and Identification NRC 290S Introduction to Spatial Information PLSOIL 105 Soils RES EC 211 Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences W&FCON 261 Wildlife Management Junior and Senior Years 190T Tree and Forest Techniques 321 Timber Harvesting 334 Forest Measurements 426 Silviculture 492 Verbal Communication Skills 540 Forest Resources Management 572 Forest Health BMATWT 201 Introduction to Wood Science GEO 362 Land Use and Society NRC 397 Professional Writing NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration NRC 597 Ecosystem Management RES EC 263 Natural Resource Economics Urban Forestry/Arboriculture Track Curriculum Freshman Year NRC 100 Environment and Society NRC 150 Applied Ecology I FOREST 191 Seminar in Arboriculture and Park Management or NRC 191 Introduction to Natural Resources Professions ENVDES 193C Microcomputer Applications or CMPSCI 105 Computer Literacy* LDCONT 105 Landscape Drafting or LDCONT 112 Introduction to Landscape Design* PLSOIL 102 Introductory Botany or BIOL 103 Plant Biology* CHEM 111 General Chemistry I MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Trigonometry Sophomore Year ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics or RES EC 102 Introduction to Resource Economics* PLSOIL 105 Soils FOREST 332 Arboriculture NRC 290A Animal Sampling and Identification NRC 290E Applied Ecology II NRC 290S Introduction to Spatial Information or LDCONT 213 Small Property Design* ENVDES 335 Plant Materials MICBIO 104 Horticultural Plant Pathology ENT 105 Insects of Ornamentals Junior and Senior Years FOREST 492 Verbal Communication Skills or other public speaking course* NRC 390A Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management NRC 397 Professional Writing NRC 597 Ecosystem Management PLSOIL 230 Introductory Turfgrass Management ENVDES 574 City Planning or GEO 362 Land Use and Society* FOREST 110 Introduction to Forestry FOREST 310 Urban Forestry FOREST 305 Private Tree Business Plant/Land electives (2)* Marketing/Public Relations/Policy elective* Personnel Management/Administration elective* Management elective* * Course choice must be approved by adviser. Career Opportunities Public agencies: One-half of the 40,000 professional foresters in the United States work for a government agency, managing publicly owned forest land or conducting research and education programs related to forest management and conservation. Foresters with the federal government are employed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and other agencies. Most states employ foresters to manage state forest and park systems, as well as to assist private landowners with management of their land. Some cities and counties also have active forest management programs requiring professional foresters, especially for managing watershed and recreation areas. Many public agencies have strong affirmative action programs for women and members of ethnic minority groups. Forestry consultants: Many foresters work in small business firms or are self-employed; they specialize in managing land for private landowners, who usually are interested in improving their forests for wildlife habitat, recreation, and landscape aesthetics as well as for income from timber harvesting. Nationally, 58 percent of all forestland is owned by private individuals and families who rely on these consulting services. In Massachusetts, 85 percent of all forestland falls into this ownership type. This kind of forestry employment is widespread in New England. Urban forestry/Arboriculture: Urban foresters specialize in protecting and improving the vegetation in and around cities, including park trees, street and shade trees, and utility rights-of-way. Jobs exist both with city agencies and with private tree-care companies. Forest industries: Companies ranging from multinational corporations to modest-sized sawmills employ foresters to manage land primarily for the production of forest products. Jobs of this kind, found throughout the U.S., are concentrated in the southeastern and western parts of the country, and in northern New England. Peace Corps: Many graduates gain their first professional experience in forestry as volunteers in the Peace Corps, which has markedly increased the size of its forestry program in recent years. Allied fields: Some graduates take advantage of particular skills gained during their studies, and work in such fields as aerial photo interpretation and mapping, environmental quality monitoring for governmental agencies, environmental education, and management of conservation lands and natural areas for non-profit organizations. The Minor A minor in forestry can be earned by completing at least five courses (15 cr) distributed in the general areas of Forest Biology, Forest Resource Measurements, and Inventory and Management of Renewable Resources. Students must take at least two courses in two areas and at least one course in the third. One of the courses must be NRC 290E, NRC 290P or an approved substitute. Forestry | Courses
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