ENVS 107A Natural History Field Quarter: CA Plants and the Physical Environment

Intensive 20-credit course with multiweek field trips. Students apply naturalist skills to scientific inquiry, ecosystem management, and communication, and cultivate leadership and professional skills for outdoor careers. In ENVS 107A, students gain a deep understanding of plant form, function, ecology, and evolution and master identification of plants using botanical keys. The fundamentals of California geology, soils, hydrology, and climate are also covered. Emphasis is placed on the scientific method and use of scientific reasoning and critical thinking; students practice an iterative process of forming hypotheses and gathering observational data to evaluate them. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in ENVS 107B, 107C, and 107D. Course is open to all majors, but ENVS majors must also have previously enrolled in ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L. Enrollment is by application in fall quarter. See https://norriscenter.ucsc.edu/ for details. (Formerly Natural History Field Quarter.)