About the Course

Introduction to wetland ecosystems with emphasis on principles and problems associated with their functions and values as related to water quality. Students will become familiar with basic and applied concepts in hydrology, soils and vegetation of both constructed and natural wetlands. The first third of the course will parallel an undergraduate course on wetlands as we learn fundamentals of wetland hydrology, biogeochemistry, soils and vegetation. The middle third of the course will focus on wetlands as a system, understanding the interaction between environmental drivers and succession, nutrient dynamics and community development. The last third of the course will focus on various approaches to evaluate wetland condition as it relates to water quality and other stressors.