Our group teaches upper level undergraduate courses that attract agricultural majors from both undergraduate and graduate programs. All courses have weekly interactive components, where students get to practice what they learn and are faced with real world situations. Hands-on activities encourage students to think critically, and weigh all the options and the consequences of their decisions.
The courses taught are:
- Principles of Weed Management. This course deals with the principles of integrated weed management and the impact of those management strategies on weed population dynamics. It also deals with the impact weed management options have on soil health, weed population dynamics, and other ecosystem services. This course is taught by David A. Mortensen, Bill Curran, Dweight Lingerfelter, and TA Melanie Kammerer,.
- Plant Ecology - Plant Ecology is the study of the abundance and distribution of plants. In other words, plant ecology helps us answer questions like “Why does this forest look the way it does?” and “Why do we find different species of plants in this meadow than we did 15 years ago?” Ecology focuses on understanding ecosystems through the processes that shape them. Plant communities are dynamic, and through observation and research we try to understand where they have been and where they are going. Is this grassland turning into a forest? Is this invasive shrub pushing out the native plants? What might happen if this area were burned, or logged, or if it suffered a drought? The way we think about plant ecology shapes the way we teach plant ecology. We want you to be able to look at plants in a landscape and see the processes that are shaping which plants are there and how abundant they are. This course is taught by David A. Mortensen, Mitch Hunter, and Katy Barlow.
The courses taught are:
- Principles of Weed Management. This course deals with the principles of integrated weed management and the impact of those management strategies on weed population dynamics. It also deals with the impact weed management options have on soil health, weed population dynamics, and other ecosystem services. This course is taught by David A. Mortensen, Bill Curran, Dweight Lingerfelter, and TA Melanie Kammerer,.
- Plant Ecology - Plant Ecology is the study of the abundance and distribution of plants. In other words, plant ecology helps us answer questions like “Why does this forest look the way it does?” and “Why do we find different species of plants in this meadow than we did 15 years ago?” Ecology focuses on understanding ecosystems through the processes that shape them. Plant communities are dynamic, and through observation and research we try to understand where they have been and where they are going. Is this grassland turning into a forest? Is this invasive shrub pushing out the native plants? What might happen if this area were burned, or logged, or if it suffered a drought? The way we think about plant ecology shapes the way we teach plant ecology. We want you to be able to look at plants in a landscape and see the processes that are shaping which plants are there and how abundant they are. This course is taught by David A. Mortensen, Mitch Hunter, and Katy Barlow.
| plant_ecology_hort_445_syllabus_2016.pdf |
Food systems minor
Our group is also involved in developing a new Food Systems minor. This interdisciplinary minor will provide experiential education about food, agriculture and related systems in order to equip students with knowledge and skills that prepare them for careers throughout the food system and enable them to navigate personal food decisions.
If you would like more information about the Minor, e-mail Leslie Pillen or visit http://sites.psu.edu/studentfarm/mission-deliverables
If you would like more information about the Minor, e-mail Leslie Pillen or visit http://sites.psu.edu/studentfarm/mission-deliverables
