Grassland Ecology & Management Program

An integration of disciplines involved in the study, conservation, and utilization of grasslands.
Provides a strong background in the plant and physical sciences in preparation for studying the ecology
and management of grasslands in upper level course work.
Foundation of the degree program is multiple use, emphasizing integrated grassland management for water, wildlife, forage, recreation, and aesthetics.
Students learn through course work, seminars, capstone experiences, and optional internships with state and federal agencies, research organizations, and private industry.
Careers include managers of grassland resources on private and public lands with specialization in habitat management, grassland restoration/monitoring, or grassland management, positions with environmental consulting firms, natural resources districts, public land management agencies, land use planning agencies, and federal and state wildlife divisions.
Curriculum meets the civil service requirements of the federal government for rangeland management specialist positions in such agencies as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service.
Breadth of the curriculum prepares students for postgraduate education in most disciplines related to natural resource sciences.

Majors in grassland ecology and management will be able to:

Assess rangeland health, use ecological site descriptions, determine carrying capacity, use GPS and GIS, conduct rangeland surveys, analyze quantitative field data, and interpret results of data analysis.
Use the principles of rangeland ecology to analyze and interpret the interactions of the plant, animal, environmental, and economic aspects of rangeland ecosystems.
Integrate conservation strategies that ensure sustained productivity and resilience of rangelands with livestock production and other rangeland-based enterprises.
Develop a comprehensive management plan for a unit of private or public rangeland, including economic analysis. Use decision support tools and technologies to develop and analyze management systems/strategies.
Critically analyze management systems, integrate a wide range of interrelated inputs and disciplines into a single process or system, and make decisions based on properly-collected information and sound reasoning and communicate them effectively to peers and stakeholders.