Courses

Wintertime offers insights into the natural history of organisms and function of ecosystems that are not often appreciated in summer visits to the field.  Winter Ecology is a survey of physical and biological processes and their interaction in wintertime snow-covered environments.  Through classwork, fieldwork, and individual projects, this course will focus on the dynamics of high-elevation ecosystems in the western US.  Based out of the CU Mountain Research Station's year-round Science Lodge, the class will spend 6 weekends exploring the ecology of upper montane, subalpine, and alpine landscapes in winter. The class will study plant, vertebrate, and microbial adaptations to winter and the dynamics of terrestrial, aquatic, and snowpack environments.  The course will consider how winter processes play a role in “growing season” dynamics, shape landscapes, and are important factors in conservation and management of natural resources of the Rocky Mountains.