Natural Resources Conservation

Natural Resources Conservation | Courses | Faculty

225 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center

Phone: (413) 545-2665
Website: www.umass.edu/nrc/

Head of Department: Professor Paul R. Fisette. Professors Finn, Fuller, Griffin, Juanes, Kittredge, McComb, Patterson, Ross, Ryan; Associate Professors Barten, Damery, Kelty, Loomis, McGarigal, Muth, Schweik; Assistant Professors Clouston, Kane, Randhir, Warren; Research Professor Fownes; Research Assistant Professor Nicolson; Adjunct Faculty Bloniarz.

This department has four undergraduate programs leading to the B.S. degree: 1) Building Materials and Wood Technology, 2) Forestry, 3) Natural Resource Studies, and 4) Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation. In addition, the department offers an Associate of Science Degree (two year) in Arboriculture and Community Forestry. This program is provided through the Stockbridge School, which is a unit of the College of Natural Resources and the Environment. Details about the Stockbridge Program may be found at the end of the information about the college. The department has one of the most comprehensive academic programs in natural resources in the United States. The Forestry program is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. By completing requirements of their major program, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation students can meet certification standards of their professional societies. Many students in the Department plan to seek professional employment in some aspect of natural resources while others have chosen a major here primarily because of a personal interest in conservation, or some other aspect of the environment.

Building Materials and Wood Technology

225 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: David T. Damery
Office: 120 Holdsworth
Phone: (413) 545-1770
Email: ddamery@nrc.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/bmatwt

The Field

Building construction is responsible for roughly 7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product in the United States each year. In many ways, the state of the national economy hinges on the strength of building construction and home improvement industries. Success of these critical industries relies on the leadership provided by a highly sophisticated and skilled work force. Graduates of the Building Materials and Wood Technology program help provide the required leadership and vision through their understanding of this technically competitive field. The study of science, technology, business, and design serve as the base for expertise developed in this program of study.
Building Materials and Wood Technology professionals are multifaceted. Graduates are involved in virtually every area of building technology, wood science, corporate management, and product distribution, with responsibilities ranging from research and development to the distribution and installation of finished goods. They ensure that the materials selected and used are best suited to the needs of each project in terms of safety, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. It is the experience of integrating scientific and technical understanding with general business acumen that makes graduates of the Building Materials and Wood Technology program uniquely desirable to hiring corporations.

Building Materials and Wood Technology is not limited to wood products; however, the program does provide specific expertise in forest products research. The research program focuses on the structural and physical performance of engineered wood products, wood-based composites, and wood-frame building systems. Researchers also investigate issues relating to forest products marketing, economic development, and the efficient use of resources.

The Major

In addition to university General Education requirements, the curriculum in the Building Materials and Wood Technology major builds upon a foundation of introductory mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computer literacy. Department courses cover a background in natural resources plus fundamental courses in building materials technology, wood science, building materials management, and wood-based product technology. The remainder of each student’s program includes electives in areas such as engineering or business according to the individual’s career objectives and chosen curriculum option. Students may prepare for continuation to advanced study at the master’s or doctoral level, but most graduates accept employment immediately.

The functioning student organization is the University of Massachusetts Student Chapter of the Forest Products Society. Close ties with industry are provided through an 18-member Industry Advisory Committee.

Requirements

In addition to university General Education requirements, the Building Materials and Wood Technology major requires completion of the following:

CHEM 110 General Chemistry
MATH courses with R2 designation
NRC 100 Environment and Society
PHYSICS 131, 133 Introductory Physics I with Lab
PHYSICS 132, 134 Introductory Physics II with Lab
RES-ECON 102 Introduction to Resource Economics or ECON 103 Introduction to Micro-economics
ECON 104 Introduction to Macroeconomics
NRC 397A Professional Writing in Natural Resources
FOREST 492 Verbal Communication Skills
BMATWT 201 Introduction to Wood Science
BMATWT 211 Energy Efficient Housing
BMATWT 220 Introduction to CAD in Construction and Architecture
BMATWT 304 Properties of Wood
BMATWT 313 Light-Frame Structure Technology
BMATWT 314 Architectural Blueprint Reading and Estimating
BMATWT 352 Building Materials and Forest Products Marketing
BMATWT 353 The Business of Building
BMATWT 390N Construction Methods and Materials
BMATWT 392A Seminar in Kiln Drying
BMATWT 397B Design and Construction of a Timber Bridge
BMATWT 492 Building Materials Seminar
BMATWT 530 Mechanics of Building Materials for Construction
BMATWT 540 Design of Wood Structures

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Building Materials and Wood Technology Program (BMATWT) have risen to the highest professional levels in the building materials industry. Specific occupations cover a broad range of professional careers. They work as retail and wholesale managers, sales associates, researchers, construction managers, marketing professionals, technical representatives, and purchasing agents for the most successful corporations in the nation. Salaries compare favorably with other scientific and business professions. Opportunities for advancement are excellent. The employment demand for women and men in this rapidly expanding field far exceeds the number of graduates.

The Minor

To successfully complete a minor in Building Materials and Wood Technology, a student must earn a minimum of 15 credits, selecting a minimum of five BMATWT courses in the three academic areas listed as follows. Two courses are required from Materials and Methods, and one each from Professional and Management Systems and Information Technology, with one additional course from any of the three areas. All courses listed below are three-credit courses. For admission to the Building Materials and Wood Technology Minor, a student must be in good academic standing with the university.
No requirements for the minor may be taken Pass/Fail. All courses applied toward the minor must be taken on a graded basis and all courses used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Materials and Methods area (minimum 6 cr)
201 Introduction to Wood Science
211 Energy Efficient Housing
304 Properties of Wood
313 Principles of Light Frame Structures Technology
390N Construction Materials and Methods
530 Mechanics of Building Materials for Construction
540 Design of Wood Structures

Professional and Management Systems area (minimum 3 cr)
314 Architectural Blueprint Reading and Estimating
352 Building Materials and Forest Products Marketing
353 Business of Building

Information Technology area
(minimum 3 cr)
390M Introduction to CAD in Construction and Architecture
452 Building Materials Computing

Forestry

225 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: David B. Kittredge
Office: 327 Holdsworth
Phone: (413) 545-2943
Email: dbk@forwild.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/ug_catalog/natrescon/forestry.html

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 study of forestry at the university is based upon an understanding of the ecological interactions of trees and other plants, animals, soils, water, and climate. Added to this are professional courses in silviculture, inventory and mapping, economics, resource policy, fire control, wildlife habitat, and related fields, which deal directly with the management of forests. These courses provide extensive field experience, made possible by students’ access to the university’s two research forests, and to State Forest, Wildlife Management, and Quabbin Watershed lands.

What distinguishes the program from those at other forestry schools is the emphasis on forest problems unique to the urbanized northeast and specifically to Massachusetts, where forest issues are entwined with those of a large human population. However, the curriculum is sufficiently broad and flexible to allow graduates to find employment throughout the country. In some career paths, a master’s degree is necessary for advancement, but most entry-level positions are open to graduates with a bachelor’s degree.

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, composed 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 Community Forestry Program in the Stockbridge School and then transfer into the Urban Forestry 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. (413) 545-6626, email: dr@nrc.umass.edu.

Forestry Conservation Curriculum

Freshman Year
BIOLOGY 102 Introductory Animal Biology
BIOLOGY 103 Plant Biology
NRC 100 Environment and Society
NRC 197A Conservation in the United States
MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry, and Trigonometry
MATH 121 Linear Methods and Probability

Sophomore Year
BIOLOGY 287 Introduction to Ecology
CHEM 110 General Chemistry
FOREST 297 Forests and People
NRC 211 Animal Sampling and Identification
NRC 212 Forest Botany
NRC 297S Introduction to Spatial Information Technologies
PLSOILIN 105 Soils
RES-ECON 211 Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences
W&FCONSV 261 Wildlife Management

Junior and Senior Years
BMATWT 201 Introduction to Wood Science
ENTOMOL 572 Forest and Shade Tree Insects
521 Timber Harvesting
526 Silviculture
534 Forest Measurements
492 Verbal Communication Skills
540 Forest Resources Management
Land Management/Resource elective*
NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management
NRC 397A Professional Writing
NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration
NRC 549 Ecosystem Management
PHYSICS 139 Introduction to Physics
RES-ECON 363 Natural Resource Economics

Urban Forestry/Arboriculture Track Curriculum

Freshman Year
NRC 100 Environment and Society
FOREST 191 Seminar in Arboriculture and Park Management or NRC 197A Conservation in the U.S.
LANDCONT 105 Landscape Drafting or LANDCONT 112 Introduction to Landscape Design*
PLSOILIN 102 Introductory Botany or BIOL 103 Plant Biology*
CHEM 102 General Chemistry for Nonscience Majors
MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Trigonometry

Sophomore Year
ECON 103 Introduction to Microeconomics or RES-ECON 102 Introduction to Resource Economics*
PLSOILIN 105 Soils
FOREST 332 Arboriculture
NRC 250 Applied Ecology or BIOLOGY 287 Introduction to Ecology
NRC 297S Introduction to Spatial Information Technologies or LANDCONT 213 Small Property Design*`
ENVIRDES 335 Plant Materials
PLSOILIN 109 Insects of Ornamentals
PLSOILIN 111 Horticultural Plant Pathology

Junior and Senior Years
FOREST 492 Verbal Communication Skills or other public speaking course*
NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural
Resource Management or RES-ECON 142 Personnel Management
NRC 397 Professional Writing
NRC 549 Ecosystem Management or FOREST 540 Forest Resources Management or ENTOMOL 581 Integrated Pest Management
PLSOILIN 230 Introductory Turfgrass Management
ENVIRDES 574 City Planning or GEO-SCI 362 Land Use and Society*
FOREST 297 Forests and People
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, 78 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. An increasing number of investment companies such as pension funds and insurance companies own and manage forestland as part of their portfolios. 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 natural resource inventory and assessment and geographic information systems and computer 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, Plant Identification, and Forest Management. At least one three-credit course must be taken from each area (except in the case of Plant Identification). Interested students may contact Professor David Kittredge, tel. (413) 545-2943, for the list of approved courses that will satisfy distribution requirements of the minor.

Natural Resource Studies

225 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: David K. Loomis
Office: 311 Holdsworth
Phone: (413) 545-6641
E-mail: loomis@forwild.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/ug_catalog/natrescon/natres.html

The Field

The profession of natural resource management is in need of people who are educated to provide a variety of skills that can be used to solve a growing list of problems and issues. Some of those problems are addressed by programs offered in this and other departments of the College of Natural Resources and the Environment. However, most problems require the professional ability to integrate the social and natural sciences, technical management, and social organization in effective programs and actions. Such problems include, for example, planning and managing the coastal zone, rural areas, wetlands, and other water resources.

In Natural Resource Studies (NAREST), conserving and managing resources is considered an interdisciplinary effort; thus, individuals with differing strengths may develop course specialties in environmental fields such as aquatic resources, ecology, human dimensions, natural areas management, and impact assessment. These fields and others may be approached with an emphasis on science, technical management, administration, social policy and action, law, and communications. Individual curriculum planning based on personal career goals, talent, and interest is a special characteristic of the NAREST program. Further, the program is designed for maximum flexibility within the 120 credits required for graduation. A minimum of 47 course credits are selected by the student. In this way, students “design” their personal major.

Students who wish to prepare for entry to graduate school from this curriculum should make the decision early and work closely with their adviser. Specifically, students should identify their professional goal and determine requirements for entry into a specific graduate program. Students must define their own objectives. Some potential graduate programs for which this major is an effective base are: regional planning, law, conservation education, journalism, resource planning, and public administration.

The Major

The NAREST major offers flexible programs of study for students who have specific career goals not met by other natural resource or environmental majors, and who are ready to take personal responsibility for developing their own course of study. The program offers curriculum opportunities for students interested in generalist approaches to resource conservation and management, as well as opportunities for unique, focused, and specialized curriculum plans. Students may, in consultation with their adviser, plan to enter certain pre-professional specialties or prepare for graduate school.

Requirements

Freshmen
POLISCI 101 American Politics
NRC 100 Environment and Society
NRC 197A Conservation in the United States
BIOLOGY 100 and 101 Introduction to Biology
MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Trigonometry
ANTHRO 208 Human Ecology

Sophomores
NRC 211 Animal Sampling and Identification
NRC 212 Forest Botany
NRC 250 Fundamentals of Applied Ecology
CHEM 111 General Chemistry
CHEM 112 General Chemistry or PHYSICS 139 Introduction to Physics
GEO-SCI 101 The Earth and 131 Experiencing Geology
RES-ECON 211 Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences
RES-ECON 263 Natural Resource Economics
NAT-RESR 391A Seminar: Curriculum Planning
NRC 297S Introduction to Spatial Information Technologies

Juniors and Seniors
Requirements are met by individualized, student-designed curricula with adviser approval. All majors must take NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration, NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management, and NRC 549 Ecosystem Management, and fulfill the Junior Year Writing requirement.

Restrictions
Courses to be counted in the NAREST program must be taken on a graded basis.

Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

225 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Contact: Curtice R. Griffin
Office: 324 Holdsworth
Phone: (413) 545-2640
Email: cgriffin@nrc.umass.edu
Website: www.umass.edu/ug_catalog/natrescon/wfcon.html

The Field

Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation is a major branch of applied ecology that encompasses the science and art of studying, managing, conserving, and protecting wild animal populations and the ecosystems on which living things depend. Such tasks demand people broadly trained in science, natural history, ecology, and the social and policy sciences. For this reason, the degree requirements in the program begin with traditional natural history, zoology, botany, mathematics, and chemistry courses.

Building on these traditional foundations, study continues with applied courses on the principles of resource management and sensitive issues of public policy and social values.

Wildlife and fisheries conservation is both science and art. In addition to academic training, it requires talent, personal commitment, enthusiasm, and special skills.

Career Opportunities

Employment opportunities depend upon the program option chosen, field or research experience, and the cooperative education or internship opportunities pursued.

The Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation curricula provide students with the strong basic training to go to graduate school to work toward a Master of Science degree. A master’s degree is needed to enter the wildlife or fisheries professions as a scientist or natural resource manager with state or federal natural resource agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, or the Bureau of Land Management. A master’s degree also provides the expertise necessary for advancement within an agency to jobs that include more supervisory and decision-making responsibility.

Many students seek a job upon receiving their bachelor’s degree to get some work experience before going to graduate school, while others decide that graduate school may not fit their personal goals or needs. Some bachelor’s degree students start their careers with overseas assignments in the Peace Corps. Others find jobs as technicians or field assistants with environmental consulting firms, or with state or federal agencies. The advantage of such jobs lies in the opportunity to spend large amounts of time “in the field.” For example, a technician may work as field assistant to district fish or game biologists. Responsibilities may include helping to analyze the condition of fish or wildlife populations, or assisting in interviewing anglers or hunters to determine levels of harvest that occur during hunting or fishing seasons. Graduates may also take jobs as fishery observers on commercial fishing vessels. These technicians are assigned to an ocean fishing boat for about a month at a time to collect data on the levels of catch of important commercial species, or on the numbers of protected animals such as dolphins that become trapped in fishing nets.

The Major

Students choose between a track in wildlife conservation or in fisheries conservation.

An essential part of a Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation education involves practical field experience. The department provides help in finding students suitable field research projects, summer jobs, internships, or cooperative education positions with state and federal agencies, and private conservation organizations to gain additional valuable experience.

There are many opportunities for students to work as field assistants on departmental research projects, such as studies on fishers, opossums, trout, coastal shorebirds, endangered species, white-tailed deer, and estuarine fish. Through these activities, students have use of such field laboratories as the nearby Connecticut River, the vast water and land complex of the Quabbin Reservoir, the forested lands of western Massachusetts, the estuaries and beaches of the Atlantic coast, and over 2,000 acres of university forests and waters.

There are numerous summer job and field research opportunities with agencies and conservation organizations. The university’s Cooperative Education and Internship programs, and contacts made by individual faculty, provide a wide array of opportunities, including: participating in programs studying the fish and wildlife resources of Alaska, restoring bald eagle and osprey populations, monitoring salmonid populations in acidified streams of the northeast, or working as assistants on federal wildlife refuges, at federal or state fish hatcheries, or on research projects at national parks or other public lands throughout the U.S. Students can also choose to complete some major requirements earning credit at other universities in the U.S. or abroad in places such as Africa and Australia.

Major Requirements

Freshman
BIOLOGY 102 and BIOLOGY 103 Introductory Animal and Plant Biology or BIOLOGY 100 and BIOLOGY 101
MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Trigonometry or equivalent
NRC 100 Environment and Society
NRC 197A Conservation in the United States
RES-ECON 211 Introductory Statistics for the Life Sciences
Math Elective (Fisheries Option)
Choose from one of the following:
MATH 127, STATISTC 501, BIOST&EP 540 or EDUC 555
Earth Science Elective (Wildlife Option)
Choose from one of the following:
GEO-SCI 101, 103, 105, 201; PLSOILIN 105; PLNTSOIL 565

Sophomore
BIOLOGY 280 Evolution and Diversity of Life through Time
BIOLOGY 287 Introduction to Ecology
CHEM 111 and 112 General Chemistry
NRC 211 Animal Sampling and Identification
NRC 212 Forest Botany
NRC 297S Introduction to Spatial Information Technologies (Fisheries Option)
W&FCONSV 260 Fisheries Conservation and Management
W&FCONSV 261 Wildlife Conservation and Management
FOREST 297F Forests and People
Advanced Math Elective (Wildlife Option)

Junior
Public Speaking Elective—FOREST 492 Verbal Communication Skills (Wildlife Option)
NRC 397A Professional Writing
NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration
RES-ECON 263 Natural Resource Economics
NRC 297S (Wildlife Option)
NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management

Senior
Physical Science Elective—PHYSICS 139 or CHEM 250
Public Speaking Elective—FOREST 492 Verbal Communication Skills (Fisheries Option)
NRC 549 Ecosystem Management
Earth Science Elective (Fisheries Option)
Choose from one of the following:
GEO-SCI 101, 105 or 285

Option Requirements

Fisheries Option
Aquatic Science Elective­—GEO-SCI 103 Introductory Oceanography or W&FCONSV 597I Freshwater Ecology
BIOLOGY 542 Ichthyology
W&FCONSV 470 Fish Ecology
W&FCONSV 571 Fisheries Science and Management

Wildlife Option
Two 500-level Biology courses to include either BIOLOGY 544 or BIOLOGY 548; if only one of the preceding is chosen, the other can be selected from among BIOLOGY 521, 522, 528, 540, 550 or 567.
Advanced Forestry Course (any 3 cr 500-level course)
W&FCONSV 564 Wildlife Habitat Management
W&FCONSV 565 Dynamics and Management of Wildlife Populations

The Minor

The minor is designed to introduce students from a variety of other disciplines to the information essential for wise stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. This background may aid students in making career choices and in broadening their options with regard to graduate school and future employment. A total of 15 credits is required.

I. Take both of the following:
261 Wildlife Conservation
260 Fisheries Conservation

II. Choose three courses from the following groups, but no more than two from either group:

A. W&FCONSV 470 Ecology of Fish
W&FCONSV 564 Wildlife Habitat Management
W&FCONSV 565 Dynamics and Management of Wildlife Populations
W&FCONSV 571 Fisheries Science and Management

B. NRC 382 Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Management
NRC 409 Natural Resources Policy and Administration
NRC 597M Ecosystem Management
W&FCONSV 597R Watershed Science and Management

Natural Resources Conservation | Courses | Faculty